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  • Dahmer: Monsters are Real, They Live among Us

    Reviews by: @the_owlseyes "I don't even know if I have the capacity for normal emotions or not because I haven't cried for a long time. You just stifle them for so long that maybe you lose them, partially at least. I don't know" Jeffrey Dahmer PLOT "Story of the Milwaukee Monster told from the perspective of the victims and police incompetence that allowed the Wisconsin native to go on a multiyear killing spree" or "This is actually told from the perspective of the killer, not the victims" SCRIPT The series is about the killer's past and reasoning, while the victims are just used as plot devices to explain his actions and further is character development. This is one of the reasons why this series wasn't liked y the victims families. Dahmer is represented well, to the point that you feel sad for him, a humanization which is too extreme for a serial killer who was considered a psychopath. Not only that but the plot is divided in plotlines and the editing doesn't help understanding at which point of his story we are. I would like to add that this show isn't good at setup and payoff because it conveniently invert this process and put the payoff before the setup. Such a lazy way to explain facts isn't acceptable. I don't think that this is a remarkable script and I'm disappointed because Dahmer's story could've been told in a better and more effective way by focusing on a few victims(instead of all of them) and he. Not only that but I would like to add that it feels a bit woke, by forcing a bit the fact that he was an homosexual. His sexuality wasn't his only trait. I can agree with the fact that police's negligence allowed his killing spree but the story seems a bit biased and political. I don't know how much of this show is real but it looks like most of it has been manufactured for some reasons. Not good. Not at all. Script: 5/10 ACTING Evan Peters is the only reason why this series works because his performance is compelling and chilling. I like how good he is at portraying a deeply troubled serial killer with a distinctive personality. With his charisma and acting chops, he is able to hold the whole show on his shoulders. The other actors are decent. Acting: 8/10 PHOTOGRAPHY Lights and shadows are used well but colors don't have any kind of meaning. There're just a few good shots. Most of it feels derivative and boring. Photography: 6/10 EDITING I don't like it because it creates confusion, especially regarding the timeline and the characters. Sometimes there's slow motion but I don't find it good or interesting. Probably one of the weakest aspects of this series. Editing: 5/10 SPECIAL EFFECTS There're a few which are well done but there isn't anything impressive about those. Considering that this show is pretty grounded, the CGI is streamlined to the necessary scenes. Fortunately. Special Effects: 6/10 SOUNDTRACK The instrumental parts are well done and unsettling, with moment of pure tension. The songs are put there just to define the period but don't bring much else. Soundtrack: 7/10 COSTUMES Normal clothes worn by people from the 80s and 90s. Nothing remarkable about those. Costumes: 6/10 CONCLUSION Script: 5/10 Acting: 8/10 Photography: 6/10 Editing: 5/10 Special Effects: 6/10 Soundtrack: 7/10 Costumes: 6/10 AVERAGE: 6,14 A decent series about a merciless and freightening serial killer ruined by Murphy's woke agenda and lacklustre storytelling. Only Evan Peters is the reason to watch it. Your choice. Director: Carl Franklin Screenplay: Ryan Murphy, Ian Brennan Cast: Evan Peters, Richard Jenkins, Molly Ringwald, Niecy Nash, Michael Learned Soundtrack: Nick Cave, Warren Ellis Cinematography: Jason McCormick Running Time: 50 min By @the_owlseyes

  • Amsterdam: Perplexing Puzzle

    Reviews by: @augustkellerwrites Amsterdam has strong elements but mixed results. Its ambitious script covers mystery, friendship, and politics. Alas, these genres aren't cohesively blended and often feel cumbersome. Humor is lost in the unclear tones, plotlines are convoluted, and the ending is overexplained. Conversely, characters have defined motivations and internal conflicts, themes are relatable, and twists are abundant. Meanwhile, the acting is similarly varied. Bale brings distinct mannerisms, Robbie has chemistry with Taylor-Joy, and there's adequate range. However, beyond that, the performances are unremarkable. Overall, Amsterdam is respectable and sporadically entertaining, but its diluted purpose is disengaging. Technically, Amsterdam reflects its drama. Strengths like the all-star cast and elaborate production design are offset by clunky pacing and drab color palettes. Even within the editing, techniques like inserts, freeze frames, and montages are outweighed by a bloated structure. The cinematography utilizes movement, lighting, and composition. The era-appropriate music bookends the film, the injury effects are visceral, and the sound is supportive (mostly through voiceovers). Still, because the direction bites off more than it can chew, Amsterdam's craft fails to truly impress. Ultimately, it's a fine film, but given the talent involved, Amsterdam feels like a slight letdown. Writing: 6/10 Direction: 6/10 Cinematography: 7/10 Acting: 8/10 Editing: 6/10 Sound: 6/10 Score/Soundtrack: 7/10 Production Design: 8/10 Casting: 10/10 Effects: 7/10 Overall Score: 7.1/10 By @augustkellerwrites

  • Halloween Ends: Slashed Storytelling

    Reviews by: @augustkellerwrites Halloween Ends is cluttered and confused. Instead of a story, it delivers franchise baggage, an expectations checklist, and a shoehorned plot. Consequently, developments feel rushed, characters are excessive tropes, dialogue is blunt, motivations are flimsy, drama is contrived, and momentum whiplashes. Because Ends overwhelms itself, viewers will wonder where it's going or why anyone should care. Its theme of trauma infection is solid, but that feels like a separate movie intruding on the Strode/Myers showdown. Ultimately, Myers is sidelined, the primary focus is a distraction, and the conclusion is unrelated to the rest of the film. Thus, Ends is a frustrating mess. Technically, Ends is boring. Fundamentally, it's toneless and directionless, failing to consistently convey a point. The editing employs micro techniques (intercuts, inserts, smash cuts, and montages), but its macro structure is a jumbled chore. Meanwhile, the production design is generic, the cinematography is average (using some movement, composition, and angles), and the cast is forgettable outside of Curtis. Plus, the main acting is inadequately supported. The sound is impactful (echoes, split cuts, and muffling) despite cheap stings, the music is tasteful, and the effects are satisfying. However, Halloween Ends is too misguided to be enjoyable. Writing: 3/10 Direction: 3/10 Cinematography: 5/10 Acting: 5/10 Editing: 4/10 Sound: 6/10 Score/Soundtrack: 7/10 Production Design: 5/10 Casting: 4/10 Effects: 7/10 Overall Score: 4.9/10 By @augustkellerwrites

  • Hellraiser (2022): Tepid Heat

    Reviews by: @augustkellerwrites Hellraiser is forgettable. Besides one mild twist, the story is standard. Too much time is spent explaining the obvious plot. Exposition dumps, cannon fodder characters, and blunt dialogue are stale. Hellraiser's strength is its flawed protagonist, but even that is overdramatic and inconsistent. This could've been an interesting metaphor about addiction's destructive allure, but because that humanity is sidelined, the theme is thin. Instead, Hellraiser prioritizes tired suspense that feels disconnected from the character drama. The acting shows decent emotions early on, but once the film gets going everything becomes repetitive. Consequently, Hellraiser is a dull rehash of familiar formulas. Technically, Hellraiser surrounds strengths with mediocrity. The visceral audio uses layered whispers, chimes, distorted voices, stings, muffling, echoes, and vivid torture sounds to heighten reactions. The designs of the demons and devices are elegant and disturbing. The special effects bring violence, disfigurements, and transforming settings to life. However, Hellraiser is otherwise mundane. Its editing is drawn out and redundant. The visuals add some lighting, focus, and composition, but remain fairly basic. The music is tense but generic, the cast is small-time, and the direction sticks to uninspired genre traits. Overall, Hellraiser is fine for horror fans, but generally indifferent. Writing: 4/10 Direction: 4/10 Cinematography: 6/10 Acting: 6/10 Editing: 6/10 Sound: 8/10 Score/Soundtrack: 6/10 Production Design: 8/10 Casting: 3/10 Effects: 8/10 Overall Score: 5.9/10 By @augustkellerwrites

  • No Exit: A Compact Thriller

    Reviews by: @picturesinflow No Exit is a story about a tragic event caused by another event. We follow a few characters down on their luck stuck in a situation caused by no one. None of them want to be stuck there, but they all have to find a way to manage or something more sinister will happen. Shot in mostly 1 location and with its front yard (parking) we get a really tight shot film along with solid acting from all of our leads. One thing which serves the plot to a very high extent is the foreboding soundtrack which just builds and builds with remorse. Lighting is another solid point amidst it being shot at night and the heavy snow genuinely reduces vision to but a few meters in front. That transforms each shadow to a possibility of something waiting for you there to the same extent do the tight corridors of the guest center. The film follows the story of Darby (played by Havana Rose Liu) and how one person’s decision to stay in a visitors’ center changes her whole life. We start at a help centre for patients who suffer from all kinds of abuse, addiction and much more, in our case Darby suffers from drug use. She is not liked by her family for that particular reason, but when she gets a text that her mother is situated in a hospital, she goes out and starts the long drive to the hospital. Some time passes and Darby is forced to pull over due to heavy storm, and from there all things go downhill fast. We get to meet 4 new characters who are staying in the same centre due to the same reason, but one of them is hiding something sinister. Not knowing who to trust, finding ways to work it out in a place new to you, footprints being covered almost instantly due to heavy snowstorm and not knowing where everyone is at any moment. From this point on No Exit transforms in a thriller/mystery with twists and many turns along the way. No Exit will not blow anyone’s socks off, it’s a small but effective thriller/mystery about a few people in dire circumstances. These 5 people were interesting to follow with all of them coming from different backgrounds and from that one could deduce how would each react in different circumstances. You can find No Exit on Disney+. By @picturesinflow

  • Dopesick: A Poison called Corporate Greed

    Reviews by: @the_owlseyes @decinelibrosymas “America’s approach to its opioid problem is to rely on Battle of Dunkirk strategies—leaving the fight to well-meaning citizens, in their fishing vessels and private boats—when what’s really needed to win the war is a full-on Normandy Invasion.” Beth Macy, Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America PLOT "The series takes viewers to the epicenter of America's struggle with opioid addiction, from the boardrooms of Purdue Pharma, to a distressed Virginia mining community, to the hallways of the DEA" or "Corporate Narcos" SCRIPT This is one of the series which moved me by the end because it's written in a way that each character shows a side of the scandal and brings up disturbing truths about Purdue, Big Pharma, addiction, poverty and corporate interest. This series is so good that brings you to the point of loving to hate the characters of Purdue, but not all of them, because the series shows that not all of them were wicked and guilty. Obviously all the character have wonderful archs to show the events from different points of view and the plot is cohesive. I think that the best arch is the doctor's, who goes through hell due to Oxy. The world needs more series like this. Series which show the truth without much bias and with a great script to empathize with both the victims and the offenders. I didn't expect that and this is why I'm particularly satisfied. Script: 10/10 ACTING This is top notch and I think that the best performers are Michael Keaton, Kaitlyn Dever and Micheal Stuhlbarg. Each of them bring gravitas and pathos to their characters, making them the pillars of this series. Rosario Dawson and Peter Sarsgaard are pretty good too. Will Poulter doesn't get to show is range but is well casted. The minor actors are good too in their little parts. I think that what makes this series special are the performances because those makes the characters likeable. Acting: 9/10 PHOTOGRAPHY There're a lot of genuinely good looking shots about the rural american landscape and cities. Not only that but the light is used well to imbue a lot of moments with pathos and give depth to the characters. Colors don't have any symbolic meaning but the filter is grey, which set the show's mood perfectly. Photography: 7/10 EDITING The editing doesn't have anything remarkable. Sure, technically is decent but it doesn't add much to this show which shines in other aspects. Editing: 6/10 SPECIAL EFFECTS There are a few which are imperceptible and mostly regards sets. Beside that there isn't much to say about that because this show is pretty grounded in reality. Special Effects: 6/10 SOUNDTRACK The soundtrack is made of pop songs, one of them used very well, and instrumental parts. I think that the first ones, beside one song, are decent and the second is good but isn't used as much as it was supposed to be. Overall is decent but I'm disappointed. I've expected more from Lorne Balfe. Soundtrack: 6/10 COSTUMES There isn't anything remarkable about those. The usual clothes worn by executives, officers, miners...normal people. Costumes: 6/10 CONCLUSION Script: 10/10 Acting: 9/10 Photography: 7/10 Editing: 6/10 Special Effects: 6/10 Soundtrack: 6/10 Costumes: 6/10 AVERAGE: 7,14 Watch it, because this piece of history shouldn't be forgotten. Director: Barry Levinson Screenplay: Danny Strong Cast: Michael Keaton, Peter Sarsgaard, Michael Stuhlbarg, Will Poulter, John Hoogenakker, Kaitlyn Dever, Rosario Dawson Soundtrack: Lorne Balfe Cinematography: Checco Varese Running Time: 60 min By @the_owlseyes DOPESICK (2021) CREADOR: Danny Strong ELENCO: Michael Keaton, Michael Stuhlbarg, Peter Sarsgaard, Will Poutler 🎞️ Trata la historia de como Purdue Pharma fue la culpable de miles de muertes por su nuevo medicamento OxyContin y de como dos abogados tratan de llevarles a los juzgados. 🎬 Serie creada por Danny Strong, más conocido por ser co-creador de la serie Empire, y basada en el libro de la periodista estadounidense Beth Macy, cuyos hechos fueron 100% reales a finales del siglo XX y comienzos de este mismo. 📃 Una historia basada en hechos reales puede contarse de mil maneras para que el espectador comprenda de una forma más teatral lo que ocurrió en realidad, pero esta serie tiene algo más. Su ritmo, aunque la serie trate de investigaciones y abogacía, es misteriosamente frenético, con saltos temporales muchas veces necesarios y muy bien hilados, y más importante, con los que no te pierdes sino que te ayudan a comprender mejor la historia. Por otro lado, se trata la parte de negocios y ascenso del que en realidad fue el principal culpable del desastre de Purdue Pharma, Richard Sackler, como un villano sin escrúpulos y sin sentimientos, un personaje muy bien tratado. 🎭 Michael Keaton, recién galardonado con el Globo de Oro a mejor actor de miniserie, hace un papel espectacular como uno de los protagonistas, pero sinceramente, no es el único que merece un premio ya que Michael Stuhlbarg, que hace de presidente de Purdue Pharma también realiza una labor increíble, al igual que el resto del elenco. 🍿 Una serie más que notable. Tiene un guión fantástico que te hará comprender de una forma precisa lo que ocurrió, con unas actuaciones formidables y un estilo argumental adecuado para una historia de esta índole. By @decinelibrosymas

  • She-Hulk: Attorney at Law - Sub-Par Superhero Legal Drama

    Reviews by: @picturesinflow She-Hulk: Attorney at Law was set out to impress its audiences with its approach of 9 episodes (rather than 6), adapt another member of the Hulk family and still tell an immersive story. What we got was a schlock of rushed scripts, having too many filler episodes in an already short series, even if it is longer than all bar WandaVision and much more. Wasted potential is at the forefront of She-Hulk with so much promise and under deliverance that people were just joining in to see the cameo, rather than its main hero and actual story. We are reaching lows that were unthinkable when the MCU was at its peak a few years ago with Infinity War and Endgame, standards have fallen way down and all the series are directly suffering from that. From week to week She-Hulk was incorporating more and more cameos from the grandeur MCU, and that was great, on the other hand we had Moon Knight and to an extent Ms. Marvel where they were their own stories, who just so happen to take place in the MCU. These cameos were fun (some of them at least) which added more depth to Jennifer Walters, but at the expense of taking the limelight, some side stories were their own unique thing without advancing the main story even a little bit. We were teased about a fan favourite character all the way back in episode 5 and they kept showing him until episode 8. To be perfectly honest (and probably most of the fan base can relate) we were watching She-Hulk for that one particular cameo and to ultimately see if they butcher the character. Happy to report they didn’t to an extent, we should not forget this is the MCU and everyone, even if they were more serious in previous outing is going to become more light-hearted and a quippy character. CGI is another rough pill to swallow, at time its acceptable (we are far from the golden days), however we are witnessing a serious downgrade in terms of effects. Several fights starting and ending in mere seconds, everyday items look uncanny next to She-Hulk and almost all CGI used for creatures (even She-Hulk) is downright bad at times. Stories about CGI artists being rushed due to the tight schedule of MCU is something we have all heard, and that fact holds true while you are watching this. More of the grand Marvel rooster being adapted in films/series is nothing bad, however if your budget is tighter and visuals have not reached their ultimate potential, maybe mainly focus on those without powers of grand scale or fully CGI characters. Keep those ‘higher’ budget characters for the films and keep lower street level ones for the series, so that we don’t meet this low point again. Overall story was not that interesting to begin with and with the added aspect of constant cameos which drove the story in different ways, having no villain to almost the last episode and changing pace ruined the whole experience. We follow the story of an attorney named Jennifer Walters on her journey to the judicial system of America, but with any story, trouble comes at unexpected times. One day while driving with her cousin Bruce Banned (Hulk) they tragically go of a cliff and crash, while trying to save her cousin some of his highly irradiated blood gets in her bloodstream, and from there you can guess what happens. From there on we follow her with her new powers at the head of a new division in the law firm specifically created to serve superheroes. Overall, the series is about Jennifer trying to find her place in this world with all the ‘setbacks’ about being a Hulk. The biggest sour point is the plot point set up way back in episode 2 about her blood and can it be used to transform other people into a Hulk. It came up from time to time and was interesting overall mostly because they have a unique strand of DNA, which can use that said radiation and not plain-out kill them. So, the question was when and if they take her blood, and then so happen to use it what would actually happen. Sadly, that whole story was literally for nothing and we didn’t get a satisfying end. She-Hulk could have been great, should have been great and ultimately was anything but great. One thing that was an utter surprise was the comedy and how little it actually worked. Normally, marvel has been going for comedy more and more (especially this phase) and it does still get someone to laugh, but in She-Hulk that fast and quippy banter was somehow not working. This is more of a light-hearted point and the show suffers from way more important aspects, I just wanted to point this out. She-Hulk is composed of 9 episodes all ranging from the 25-35 minutes, but about 7-8 minutes is dedicated to credits. One episode was even below 20 minutes and we can’t even place it as a sitcom at that point. The penultimate and last episode were its last chance to save this sinking ship, with one adding one overwhelmingly liked character in the form Daredevil (still the best marvel series) and the one being focused on a massive 4th break all in an attempt to break the mould. We get a fun jab at the fans where they even mention that budget was tight and that writing could have been better, but even if you do mention it in a meta way, the CGI and writing is still bad, and should really be looked into for future projects. After finishing She-Hulk it’s another sub-par series from Marvel in an attempt to implement even more characters to their already substantial number of heroes/villains. Too much focus was sidestepped in an attempt to address the angry fans through either references inside the series or just She-Hulk straight up talking to the camera. As She-Hulk is one of the very few marvel characters who can actually break the 4th wall It was exciting to see how that would have been adapted on the screen, however it was used very rarely and for some safe tongue and cheek moments for the viewers (except for the last episode). With another one of the Disney+ series down let’s see where it lands in my opinion. 1. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier; 2. Loki; 3. WandaVision; 4. Moon Knight; 5. What If...?; 6. Hawkeye; 6. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law; 7. Ms. Marvel; By @picturesinflow

  • Dhamaka: A Perfect Film on How Media sells the News rather than Reporting It

    Reviews by: @mr.cinemaaa Project Details Director: Ram Madhvani Based On: "The Terror Live" by Kim Byung-woo Screenplay: Puneet Sharma & Ram Madhvani Produced By: Ronnie Screwvala, Amita Madhvani, & Ram Madhvani Cinematography: Manu Anand Music Director: Vishal Khurana Edited By: Monisha R Baldawa & Amit Karia Production Design: Nidhi Rungta Art Director: Richard Viagulam Costumes: Theia Tekchandaney & Ayushi Jain Sound Design: Manas Choudhary Action/Stunts: Manohar Verma Make Up: Jay Kanojia Run Time: 1 Hour & 44 Minutes CBFC Rating: n/a Direction & Story When a cynical ex-TV news anchor gets an alarming call on his radio show, he sees both danger & a chance for a TV comeback but it may cost him his conscience. Dhamaka is based on the successful Korean film "The Terror Live", and may also remind you of flicks like 'Nightcrawler', 'Money Monster', and 'The Wednesday'. The story & premise of Dhamaka seems solid with its content. The game of words between the terrorist, journalist, police & news channels is highly engaging. The screenplay is impressive & ensures that audiences remain glued to their seats. However, some of the developments in the latter half are not so convincing. Ram Madhvani's direction is gripping. His storytelling is taut and he maintains the suspense levels very well, leaving audiences to wonder what will happen next for every 15 minutes. The tension gets ramped up quickly & effectively, & it is sustained for much of the film. Lead Performances Kartik Aaryan, who is best known for his comic, lighthearted, and romantic roles, steps into altogether a new territory and comes out with flying colours. This is for sure his career-best performance till date. He portrays the dilemma & distress of his character with sincerity. It is a huge change over for him as an actor and he impresses big time with his performance. Mrunal Thakur looks cute and does her role with ease as the brave reporter and as Kartik's wife. Amruta Subhash leaves a tremendous mark and adds a lot to the drama as the cruel TRP-minded boss. Soham Majumdar as Raghubir has a very limited appearance but his voice plays a very important role. Vikas Kumar makes his presence amply felt in a guest appearance in the role of ATS’ Praveen Kamath. Ambrish Saxena is neat at the end. Vishwajeet Pradhan, Anuj Gurwara & the rest are fine in their roles. Detailed Analysis The first one hour of the film is so gripping that the plot glues you to the screens. It gives you no reason to complain as the makers neatly explain the whole setting of the story, the dynamics between the various characters, & why Arjun's character has got demoted. The second half, too, has its share of good scenes but the pace drops a bit with some normal scenes and the climax looked dull which dilutes the overall impact a bit. But the small twists are narrated well here. The whole media & TRP angle is superb in the script. The phone conversation between the terrorist and the anchor, the political angel, and the reporter saving the girl from the car episodes are quite gripping. The way Arjun uses his divorce papers to make notes is quite assuming. The small detailing inside a media channel is done well by the makers. Dialogues written deserve a special mention as they are perfect. Technical Team Direction: 5/5 Story: 4/5 Screenplay: 3.5/5 Dialogues: 4/5 Music/Songs: 5/5 Background Score: 3.5/5 Production Values: 4.5/5 Cinematography: 5/5 Editing: 4.5/5 Costumes: 4.5/5 Choreography: 4.5/5 VFX/Graphics: 4.5/5 Sound Design: 3.5/5 Plus Points Kartik Aaryan's Terrific Performance Fast-Paced Narrative Edge Of The Seat Moments Cinematography & Background Score Amruta Subhash & Mrunal Thakur Story, Screenplay & Direction Good Twists & Turns Editing & Short Run Time Exciting First Half & Pre Climax Minus Points A Bit Slow Second Half Climax Predictable At Places Final Verdict An edge-of-the-seat thriller with an exciting idea & superb performances. P.S.: A perfect film on how media sells the news rather than reporting it. Recommended: YES Mr.Cinema Rating: 3.5/5 0.5 - Unbearable 1.0 - Avoid 1.5 - Flop 2.0 - Below Average 2.5 - Average 3.0 - Watchable 3.5 - Hit 4.0- Super Hit 4.5 - Blockbuster 5.0 - Mega Hit By @mr.cinemaaa

  • Hocus Pocus 2: Stale Spells

    Reviews by: @augustkellerwrites Hocus Pocus 2 is underwhelming. It's not outright painful, but it's a dull task. The comedy is tired, the boring characters are one-dimensional, conflicts are mild, the predictable plot is mostly filler, and the silly tone undermines any investment. Some might argue this is supposed to be a family film, but parents will groan and children won't care. It's great that the original trio returned to give it their all, but unfortunately, it's in service of a lifeless script. Plus, those original actresses don't even show up until half an hour into the film. Consequently, everything feels like an average Disney Channel movie with Bette Midler in a few scenes. Technically, Hocus Pocus 2 is mediocre. Its cinematography superficially employs lighting and angles, there's a passable musical number, and the effects look okay at times (despite occasionally looking cheap). However, there aren't many other strengths to highlight. The editing lacks momentum or technique, the sound is overly wacky, and the generic direction is bland. Furthermore, while the production design has suitable costumes, there is an entire scene of overt product placement. Thus, Hocus Pocus 2 is quite tacky. Overall, some may not hate it, but most will have no desire to ever rewatch it. Therefore, Hocus Pocus 2 squanders its reunion. Writing: 2/10 Direction: 3/10 Cinematography: 6/10 Acting: 6/10 Editing: 4/10 Sound: 5/10 Score/Soundtrack: 6/10 Production Design: 3/10 Casting: 7/10 Effects: 5/10 Overall Score: 4.7/10 By @augustkellerwrites

  • Rebecca: A Stylistic Failure

    Reviews by: @picturesinflow Rebecca invites us to witness a world of high-society, extravagant locations, overwhelming mystery and hardships of a dysfunctional relationship. It’s a slow movie with a lot of unneeded layers introduced constantly, undercooked dramatic elements (things are stated plainly for a reaction, character attributes are forgotten or are brought to attention way too late). Cinematography and production design actually do push the film to be above average, but only by a smidge, it suffers from way too many things. The film starts with us witnessing Rebecca (Played by Lily James) at her lowest point working for a woman who does not appreciate her. She follows her every wish from organizing different events, setting up meetings and much more. One day Rebecca bumps into a man with a well-tailored suit named Maxim de Winter (Played by Armie Hammer) who happens to be one of the most esteemed visitors at the hotel. As days pass by and their days at the hotel start to dwindle, Rebecca, out of pure chance, gets to sit with Maxim, and they hit it off from the very start. They begin to go out and travel the surrounding region, all the while Rebecca is giving different excuses as to why she is not there for her employer. They get so accustomed to each other that Rebecca outright leaves her employer and goes on to live with Maxim, and ultimately gets married. From here on, Rebecca (the film) transforms into a complete mystery and somewhat thriller. Each interaction with a family or staff member has more layers beneath, as every single one knows something more than they are letting on. More and more things get introduced into the story which serve to only deepen the overall mystery. Overall, a very well shot film with solid performances by Lily James and Armie Hammer who work their magic, but performances can elevate a film up to a certain extent, then the cracks begin to show rather rapidly. A forgettable film about risking everything for somewhat blind love and then getting entangled in a conspiracy far bigger than the whole family. You can find Rebecca on Netflix. By @picturesinflow

  • Smile: Grim Grin

    Reviews by: @augustkellerwrites Smile is effective. Its unoriginal curse plot is utilized as an allegory for trauma's contagious nature. Unfortunately, the film often chooses tropes over themes, making that substance somewhat superficial. Still, Smile deserves credit for attempting to mix entertainment with meaning. Similarly, the dialogue oddly swings between subtle and blunt. Meanwhile, exposition is obvious, characters are generic (despite solid backstories), and the ending undermines the metaphor. However, because the acting is strong (complete with extreme distress, trembling mannerisms, and believable growth), Smile should keep viewers emotionally invested throughout. Technically, Smile is skilled. Its layered sound uses unsettling stings, split cuts, smash cuts, ambiance, distortions, rhythm, and silence. Often, that blends into the bizarre, trans-diegetic, and cued soundtrack. Jump scares are overabundant, but they're executed with tense craft. Next, the visuals add movement, upside-down shots, focus, shadows, framing, and angles. These techniques sometimes feel arbitrary, but they're generally implemented well. Plus, the deliberate editing employs emotional inserts, suspenseful pacing, and abstract cuts. Finally, there are tangible effects, significant monster designs, and psychological direction. Overall, Smile properly follows a familiar recipe. Writing: 4/10 Direction: 7/10 Cinematography: 7/10 Acting: 8/10 Editing: 7/10 Sound: 8/10 Score/Soundtrack: 8/10 Production Design: 6/10 Casting: 5/10 Effects: 7/10 Overall Score: 6.7/10 By @augustkellerwrites

  • Blonde: Surreal Celebrity

    Reviews by: @augustkellerwrites Instead of a linear narrative, Blonde is a stream of dreamlike feelings and ideas, a figurative exploration of identity, objectification, abuse, and success. However, because themes are so emphasized, the plot is repetitive, the tone is monotonous, and characters are symbols. Taken literally, this reductive use of Monroe's legacy (and traumas) is hypocritical and problematic, yet Blonde is clearly metaphorical. Meanwhile, the acting is truly vulnerable, unstable, and nuanced. Armas differentiates a constant state of distress with believable layers, mannerisms, and evolution. The unconventional structure is difficult, but Blonde is harshly tragic, meaningful, and experimental. Technically, Blonde is transcendent. Its visuals consistently employ aspect ratios, saturation, focus, lighting, composition, movement, and distortion. Audibly, there are surreal echoes, stings, voiceovers, ambiance, and silence. The abstract editing applies intellectual montages, potent inserts, match cuts, repetition, hidden cuts, and creative transitions. Its pacing is redundant yet emotional. The motif music is intense, juxtaposing, atmospheric, and fitting. Plus, there are ideal costumes, a recognizable cast, and supportive effects. Overall, the direction is detailed, relevant, and unique. Thus, while Blonde belabors its messages, its intentions are fair and its craft is undeniable. Writing: 7/10 Direction: 10/10 Cinematography: 10/10 Acting: 10/10 Editing: 9/10 Sound: 10/10 Score/Soundtrack: 8/10 Production Design: 8/10 Casting: 8/10 Effects: 7/10 Overall Score: 8.7/10 By @augustkellerwrites

  • The Sopranos: The Complexity of a Human Being in a Merciless Society

    Reviews by: @the_owlseyes “We’re soldiers. Soldiers don’t go to hell. It’s war. Soldiers kill other soldiers. We’re in a situation where everyone involved knows the stakes and if you are going to accept those stakes, you’ve got to do certain things. It’s business.” Tony Soprano PLOT "New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano deals with personal and professional issues in his home and business life that affect his mental state, leading him to seek professional psychiatric counseling" or "The Godfather of Series" SCRIPT This is the structure on which this series stands and its strong and beautiful. This isn't a simple story about gangsters. It's a series about a family man who struggles with past traumas which fall on his wife, daughter and son. It's about his growth through therapy in a system which is merciless. Tony Soprano is the main character but his arch is nothing without all the other characters, who enrich the story by giving depth to him and allowing us to see the crime world from different point of views. This series is about relevant themes like mental health, ethics, morality, justice, friendship, parenthood, growing up, loyalty, love and guilt. Its a series where the stakes aren't ascending but ever changing, which allow the characters to show all their sides in different situations. This series was criticized for its last episode, about how it ended, but I think that the show's ending is one of the best because it leaves the door open to different possibilities and speaks the truth about the mob life: it never ends. Script: 10/10 ACTING One of the main staples of this show which has the cast ensemble delivering top notch performances which craft wonderful and unforgettable characters, from Tony Soprano to the cameos like Jon Favreau, Steve Buscemi, Ben Kingsley and more. James Gandolfini is perfectly casted as Tony Soprano. He is the fulcrum of this series with his complexity and intensity is the reason why this show is amazing. I can say the same about other actors like Edie Falco, Lorraine Bracco, Michael Imperioli, Steven van Zandt, Robert Iler, Tony Sirico and Jamie Lynn-Singler. A cast like that granted The Sopranos high quality acting. Bravo. Acting: 9/10 PHOTOGRAPHY There're some good shots, lights and shadows are used well and colors have a meaning. Sure, the definition is a it grainy but its part of what makes this series special, considering that it came out during the 2000s. Overall it isn't bad but I've expected slightly more. Photography: 7/10 EDITING This is impressive because its used well, to enhance the drama of certain scenes, to create tension and justaxposition. Sure, sometimes the slow motion looks a it dated but the camera creates, for the time, incredible shots. I think that this aspect increases in quality season after season and it peaks in the last one. Editing: 8/10 SPECIAL EFFECTS The series is realistic and grounded, a reminder of the times gone. I like the fact that all look real and believable, even though the universe is an heightened version of our reality. This is a series where practical effects are everywhere and used brilliantly. I'm satisfied and I think that the lack of CGI is a plus here. Special Effects: 7/10 SOUNDTRACK The soundtrack is made only of pop songs, some of them from the italian culture. Each song fits the narrative to perfection and there's even one, the song below, which has a relevant role in a bunch of seasons, where its used multiple times. It isn't the most original soundtrack but it works well. Soundtrack: 7/10 COSTUMES Not much to say about these because the characters wear usal clothes, which are neither remarkable or original. This is probably the weakest aspect of a top notch series. Costumes: 6/10 CONCLUSION Script: 10/10 Acting: 9/10 Photography: 7/10 Editing: 8/10 Special Effects: 7/10 Soundtrack: 7/10 Costumes: 6/10 AVERAGE: 7,71 This is one of the best series ever produced. Watch it right away. Director: Timothy Van Patten Screenplay: David Chase Cast: James Gandolfini, Lorraine Bracco, Edie Falco, Michael Imperioli, Dominic Chianese, Steven Van Zandt, Tony Sirico, Robert Iler, Jamie-Lynn Sigler Soundtrack: Various Cinematography: Alik Sakharov, Phil Abraham Running Time: 60 min By @the_owlseyes

  • Dreamscaper: A Two-Dimensional Experience

    Reviews by: @picturesinflow Dreamscaper is an indie game with satisfying roguelike elements, a story about loss and not fitting in, wide-array of gameplay styles, two different games represented in two playing fields, one while awake and one while asleep. All these aspects mix and match to create, as stated above, a debatably satisfying experience only stained by somewhat floaty feeling gameplay and a short story. Gameplay: Without a smidge of doubt the biggest selling point of Dreamscaper is gameplay, no matter how floaty it feels. Let's explain floaty, that is plainly input delay, when you want to go right, you press right button and go immediately. Delay brings a lot of mishaps when it comes to dodging attacks, interacting with the world or even just moving. It stains even more in a roguelike where one single hit can mean starting all over again from the start. Dreamscape offers an enormous assortment of weapons (both melee and ranged), wide array of shields, offensive and traversal spells, different enemy types to keep you on your toes and dangers placed around the levels, it makes for a satisfying grind fest. The weapons are something to praise here, they vary from the most basic (with simple animations and swinging patterns) to some late game weapons with unique designs and effects and some even based from other video games (you’ll the know ones when you see them). This game does incorporate feedback on every hit and on stronger attacks shakes the screen as to translate the feeling of harder hit. Other than that, ranged weapons and spells also bring great variety and do spice up the game quite a bit, with grandiose particle effects and smooth animations. On the later parts of the game, these weapons and spells need more and more grinding to get to their upper limits and that may be tiresome for most, as it was for me. Enemies should always be at the centre of the attention, but maybe not this extent. Story: We follow the story of Cassidy in her waking and sleeping hours. Through the day we traverse the town, meet a respectable number of characters with their unique wants and dreams. These characters offer different bonuses for when we enter her nightmares through lucid dreaming. Story is miniscule in the waking hours, but while sleeping the gameplay and story stand proudly at front, through either random objects, different houses and many more. Each interacted object gives a glimpse into the subconscious and she tells the player what happened here or what this reminds her. These two instances work in harmony with one another and deepen an already surprisingly deep game. Sound mixing and soundtrack: Sound mixing and soundtrack offer a mix of slow and tranquil music when exploring and your traditional and faced paced music when fighting. Where it shines is all the special sound cues for absolutely every interaction from every place (be it awake and dreaming) having its own specific soundtrack with accompanying cues to every hit on an enemy and each weapon/spell sounding weak/strong based on what you have equipped. I know it’s not something to praise to such heights, many games do this exact same thing, however praising is saved for those who do something unique or achieve satisfying results and it being their first game ever, Dreamscaper does an exception job. Graphics so beautiful they literally break the world in half. Graphics: Visual style makes or breaks a game, but in the end, it all depends on the certain individual playing it and if it manages to impress him/her. It mixes minimalistic almost hand painted visuals for its terrain and background, but everything has that low-poly look to it. The visual style gets better with the later levels especially the background objects in the night level. Replayability: Thanks to the wide array of weapons and spells, Dreamscaper brings high replayability value. You can mix and match different play styles and try to beat it in as many ways as you please. Personally, I liked being the overall brute and just rushing in, bashing faces and jumping to the next one, being boring is something of my forte. However, you can play in any way you like, a spellcasting individual bringing the thunder on every single one with jumping lighting damage or have every element on different gear and witness the explosive results. Being an archer/rogue dashing through the whole area, running circles around your enemies and making them miss every attack is satisfying as well. Freedom is advised and you have only pure fun to gain from that. I mean being a brute is fun, going and hitting stuff in the face is … what you think it is, going and hitting in the face, us brute/warrior players are always on the chopping block. A charming little game from the guys over at Afterburner Studios, bringing solid gameplay, a wide array of play styles and a cute little story, Dreamscaper is something to play in the sea of videogames. You can find Dreamscaper on Microsoft Windows (Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG.com, Humble Bundle, Green Man Gaming, Xbox App) , Xbox (One, Series X/S, Cloud Gaming) and Nintendo Switch. By @picturesinflow

  • Werewolf by Night: The MCU Turning Point which Everyone Needed

    Reviews by: @the_owlseyes “I do know that for the sympathy of one living being, I would make peace with all. I have love in me the likes of which you can scarcely imagine and rage the likes of which you would not believe. If I cannot satisfy the one, I will indulge the other.” Mary Shelley, Frankenstein PLOT "Follows a lycanthrope superhero who fights evil using the abilities given to him by a curse brought on by his bloodline" or "An actual horror short by Marvel" SCRIPT It's a simple script which introduces the supernatural monsters in the MCU, which in itself is an outlandish event. The characters are well defined, as well as their motivations. Some of them, especially the side characters are just there to propell the plot. I like how the writers have decided to manage the relationship between the werewolf, Man-Thing and Elsa Bloodstone. Sure, it's still unclear how it connects to the MCU narrative but this short stand on itself strong and bring something new to a genre which needed a little oost after the latest lame outings. Bravo Michael Giacchino. Not only you're a good composer but also a talented director. Script: 8/10 ACTING There isn't a lot of time to evaluate the actors performances but I liked them, nonetheless. The physical and recitative skills brought by Gael Garcia Bernal shines and he is able to carry this special on his shoulders. Harriet Harris is pretty intense and delivers a good performance. Laura Donnelly hasn't enough screentime but I think that her performance is decent, nothing remarkable. Acting: 6/10 PHOTOGRAPHY I like the fact that Giacchino decided to use a black and white photography to honour the old horror movies, especially the Paramount's monster movies. Light and shadows are used masterfully by creating an atmosphere of dread and awe which isn't present in most Marvel's products. There's also the fact that the red color has a meaning, not only symbolically but also for the plot. I'm impressed. Photography: 8/10 EDITING There're a lot of gorgeous shots, especially when the filter is black and white. Sure, it isn't the most original editing but, regarding the horror genre, is good regarding jump scares and gory scenes which are something new for Marvel. I liked it but it's not the most impressive editing I've ever seen. Editing: 6/10 SPECIAL EFFECTS The SFX of the werewolf and the fact that most effects are practical is great but Man-Thing's CGI isn't the best, even though it's used well. It's acceptable but unremarkable. Special Effects: 6/10 SOUNDTRACK Michael Giacchino crafts a wonderful soundtrack which homages classical monster movies of the past while being thrilling and fitting for the short's tone. Considering that he is the director and this section is his own expertise, I'm impressed but I've expected it. One of the best Marvel's soundtrack in my opinion because sets the mood and its perfectly in synch with what happens on the screen. Soundtrack: 8/10 COSTUMES The werewolf and cultists makeup is well done, especially the first one. I've expected Marvel to make it CGI but the SFX are top notch. The cultists clothes are cool even though a bit derivative. The other costumes are not remarkable, especially Elsa Bloodstone's. Costumes: 6/10 CONCLUSION Script: 8/10 Acting: 6/10 Photography: 8/10 Editing: 6/10 Special Effects: 6/10 Soundtrack: 8/10 Costumes: 6/10 AVERAGE: 6,57 Watch it because this is a turning point for Marvel and the superhero's genre. Director: Michael Giacchino Screenplay: Heather Quinn, Peter Cameron Cast: Gael García Bernal, Laura Donnelly, Harriet Sansom Harris Soundtrack: Michael Giacchino Cinematography: Zoë White Running Time: 53 min By @the_owlseyes

  • Angel's Egg: An Incredibly Thought Provoking Experiences

    Reviews by: @theplokoonyreview Angels Egg plays out like an abstract art gallery, not even for a second does it conform to a traditional or even logical narrative. It doesn’t bother itself with character and plot development, everything is done for the sake of creating symbolism and putting forward stunning frames of animation. It’s a different type of presentation, providing no answers to the cryptic questions posed for the world and characters, yet the precision and purposefulness within its delivery make it feel significant. The movie may seem like a self indulgent, drawn out and disengaging slob to some, but I see it more as humble in its presentation, it doesn’t want to force a single interpretation on the viewer so it stays open ended, while still pertaining its significance through the introspective qualities of the dialogue and purposefulness within the artistic decisions. Something that cannot go overlooked is the beautiful animation. It’s easily comparable to an abstract painting, not only because it’s highly interpretative but also because every frame of this movie has the artistic and symbolic qualities akin to one. However, this isn’t a happy painting, the world is enveloped in a never ending and empty darkness while the hauntingly gothic towns are devoid of any warm colours and life. It delivers a feeling of isolation, in fact there are roughly 20 minutes dedicated to watching the girl carry an egg around the city. These 20 minute develop the colourless world, while displaying her attachment and reliance on the egg entirely through these nightmarish visuals. This movie may feel directionless, but over its runtime both the questions surrounding the world and egg are given multiple possible interpretations. This segment gives time to let both of these elements sink deep into the audiences mind, so when these elements are twisted and changed to further the symbolic qualities of the film, the audience can better understand what’s happening and lead them to their own understanding of it. This movie creates a universally understandable portrait that conveys all the emotions it wants to deliver, but then so much subtle, seemingly disconnected and impossibly cryptic symbolism is created within these confines that it creates for a completely interpretative work that is fun to think about since all the pieces are evidently present, but putting them together is something the audience needs to do for themselves. The characters act more as vessels which audience explores the world and symbolism through, but they’re still incredibly well handled for an interpretative piece. Of course, traditional characterization is thrown out with the trash, this is a movie where it’s actually a benefit to have characters who aren’t grounded at all. It’s like watching what I would imagine 2 gods interacting, higher beings with higher purposes that don’t feel any need to explain themselves or their actions. As for their actions, they can be slightly traced back to their minimal personalities, but that’s not what makes them so fascinating to interpret. It’s the actions themselves, these actions are built up to be essential to the character, but how they’re essential to the character isn’t for the show to explain. So many shows and movies want their characters to sound mysterious, but often it’s too obviously written and the lack of subtly in the writing makes the mysterious characters a bit too straightforward as a result. Angel Eggs on the other hand is a very personal piece, the writer wants to deliver his personal turmoils through these characters, however he does this in a very unorthodox way. Their stripped of any relatability as they quietly walk through the world they’re in, then precisely and purposefully speak their minds in a way that only makes sense to themselves. The sound design is also incredibly noticeable, the orchestra absolutely booms, testing the capabilities of the stereo system being used. Maybe it was just the version I watched, but sometimes I even got surprised by the quick and sharp sound of the violins and piano. This is only some of the ost however, some pieces have a mystically ominous tone accomplished by a dramatically haunting choir filled with a sense of dread, with string instruments matching the dramatic quality. It’ll sometimes even linger off into silence just to come back, joined once again with the choir. This fit incredibly well with gothic architecture and dark colour palette, the sense of dread and emptiness the world gives off synchronizes with the soundtrack to make the atmosphere all the more potent. The last piece of noticeable music was much more reflective and laid back, it still utilized the ever-so talented choir but the focus switches to the piano, with the choir and chimes fading in and out. The piano itself has a very simple cord, but this cord matched perfectly with the characters as they walk through the deserted city. It was much more meditative than the rest, while there’s a meek but noticeable twang at the end to it. It makes it feel like something is wrong, but at the same time it also sounds beautifully melancholic. It provokes a sense of dread, but also a peacefully meditative quality due to the softness of the notes. There’s a few random negatives had. First off, the soundtrack is almost a masterpiece but sometimes felt unnecessarily loud, hurting the movie since it seemed like it was trying to put emphasis on something. It didn’t fit with the melancholic atmosphere, this movie seems to want to be a completely interpretative experience and the increasing sound of the music disrupts methodical mindset you need to be in to enjoy the movie. It also brought a sense of urgency to the slow pace created, contradicting itself and at times forcing me out of the immersion. Also, this movie can get repetitive, but there’s a reason behind it and it isn’t as big of a problem as I thought it would be. While it’s playing, a lot of symbolism shown doesn’t make sense, it’s all dragged out as a testament to characters or its symbolism, which is artistically interesting but as far as entertainment value, it gets tedious. However, when the movie ends with a big symbolically significant twist and the distant, eerie landscape fades into black, I realized something. It’s incredibly thoughtful, all the symbolically significant events are drawn out whileb eing accompanied by mesmerizing visuals. These aren’t easy to forget, and trying to piece them together to understand what it all means was a fascinating task, being too cryptic to completely make sense of it but leaving enough hints and allusions that there was evidently something beneath it all. This movie may improve on a rewatch, but as for this initial experience the entertainment rating will come down since it did test my patience.  Angels Egg is unlike anything I’ve seen so it’s difficult to put a rating on it, in fact since this is my first experience with this type of film I might end heavily under or overrating it. With all that being said, this movie stuck with me. It’s a delicate yet incredibly well maintained interpretative piece. It doesn’t ask much from the audience, but what it has to offer is immense due to how confusingly, yet refreshingly open ended it is. It’s inaccessible by design, making it hard to engage in fully. However, through this it also becomes an incredibly thought provoking experiences,  thinking about how all the cryptic yet intentional artistic decisions fit together is fascinating. Entertainment rating: 7/10 Critical rating: 9/10 Final rating: 8.5/10 By @theplokoonyreview

  • For A Few More Dollars : The Perfect Continuation of the Dollars Saga

    Reviews by: @s.sohan2005 For A Few More Dollars is a great sequel to the seminal Fistful Of Dollars.This movie evolves and moves the trilogy from archetypal storytelling to more human drama storytelling through Lee Van Cleef's eyes. This movie is an improvement in every better way when it comes to the pacing, characters, story, usage of technical effects, and having a badass co-lead in Lee Van Cleef. The innovations in this movie that permeates throughout the Dollars trilogy are the use of the infamous triangle of 3 characters and pitting them against each other with great filmmaking and direction from Leone and great acting by Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, and Gian Maria Vorlonte. Lee Van Cleef steals the show with the icy bounty killer look and a great counteract to Clint Eastwood's Manco. Their relationship is the heart of this movie. The precision and direction by Sergio Leone are huge and epic in scale while also staying restrained and grounded through the usage of close-up shots and low-angle shots during western duels. The story is well structured and it does not miss a beat. It doesn't feel languid in length unlike The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. The story structure is filled to the brim with uneasy alliances, character building, and a great setup for the final payoff. The action setpieces are some of the best in spaghetti westerns and cinema history. The final fight between Mortimer and El Indio is dramatic yet emotional but also a great act at tension building which is enhanced through Ennio Morricone's score which is haunting yet powerful albeit a bit more optimistic. The bank robbery scene is creative and filled with tension and shot incredibly and through surgical editing makes it one of the best sequences in modern cinema. Ennio Morricone's score is powerful and fitting for the western genre and this piece is no exception and it also has an emotional undertone to it. The usage of classic European instruments like brass, Jew's harp, amplified harmonica, cor anglais and mariachi trumpets are used . It is a complex and an elaborate score which makes it appreciative. Overall For A Few Dollars is a great sequel to the original and it does a great job of enhancing the first one and crowns itself as one of the best westerns of all time. By @s.sohan2005

  • Marcel the Shell with Shoes On: An Emotional Shell

    Reviews by: @augustkellerwrites Marcel the Shell with Shoes On is delightful and surprisingly impactful. Its mockumentary format is a straightforward narrative gimmick, but it addresses ideas of family, mortality, duality, and everyday beauty. Because Marcel is so small, he brings a new perspective that's wondrous yet wise. Plus, Marcel is a strong character with a distinct vocabulary. The plot is rather basic and predictable, but it tackles a potent balance of relatability and poetic insight. Furthermore, the acting is compelling, producing firm character voices and endearing personalities. Collectively, this all gives Marcel the Shell genuine emotions that will strike hearts of all ages. Technically, Marcel the Shell is artful. There's cinematic focus, motion, framing, lighting, and composition. The editing uses jump cuts, montages, and pacing. The naturalistic sound utilizes silence, layers, exaggeration, and a whistling motif. The stop-motion fits perfectly into the intimate visual style. The whimsical soundtrack is atmospheric yet occasionally dramatic. Plus, some songs are trans-diegetic, acoustic performances. Lastly, the production repurposes ordinary materials into exciting contraptions, reflecting themes of wonder in common places. Overall, Marcel the Shell optimizes its drama with subtle craft. Its story isn't complex, but its effect is powerful. Writing: 8/10 Direction: 8/10 Cinematography: 8/10 Acting: 8/10 Editing: 9/10 Sound: 9/10 Score/Soundtrack: 9/10 Production Design: 10/10 Casting: 7/10 Effects: 9/10 Overall Score: 8.5/10 By @augustkellerwrites

  • Entergalactic: A Visual and Musical Treat

    Reviews by: @picturesinflow Entergalactic is a trip from start to finish about the tribes and tribulations of dating in the 21st century all accompanied by the newest album of Kid Cudi. Let’s talk plainly here, this film will not break any records nor is it hardly trying to, its purpose is to be a platform to showcase the newest album while telling a somewhat tried and true story. Visuals and soundtrack are mostly where it shines, while the story is on the backend. In addition, I am all up for more and more experiments of this kind, as of course you can listen to the album through your platform of choice, but it was tailor made to be experienced through Entergalactic and that idea is constructed very well. Story is firmly placed in the will they/won’t they trope, but there was no requirement to be more, since on the forefront are the visuals and music. We follow Jabari (voiced by Scott Mescudi (Kid Cudi)) who is an artist on the brink of signing a big deal to make his characters into a full-fledged comic book series. On one hopeful day late in the night he meets his new neighbor called Meadow (voiced by Jessica Williams) and with almost an immediate spark, Jabari now has to find a way to make space for love in his life. No matter if Entergalactic’s story is just there to serve the other aspects it still manages to create drama and tension, highs and lows and everything needed for a traditional semi-romantic story. Visuals are atmospheric, beautiful and full of style. Very much their own spin on the Into the Spiderverse low framerate, choppy but very expressive style of animation which was a treat. Animation gives its auteurs an endless canvas to do what ever they please with, without having to follow standard rules rather create something that is purely unique. Using another films style is not unheard (especially for animation), Entergalactic transformed it not from the ground up, but where it mattered. Especially look out for that expressive skyline, biking through the literal galaxy and most scenes including use of certain substances. Just so it is known, Entergalactic does include use of substances, vulgar language, ‘interesting’ scenes and more of this kind to earn an 18+ rating in most countries. Normally we don’t need to point these specific things out as we are all pretty accustomed to it in every second film, but in animation, especially easily accessible animation through Netflix, it should be pointed out. In terms of the overall soundtrack presented in Entergalactic is something fans of Kid Cudi have come accustomed to. Some highlights were ‘Do What I Want’, ‘New Mode’ and ‘Angel’, of course, as is film, music is just as dependant on the person listening. These few tracks were the highlight for me because they added to the scene on a more direct level, rather just being in the background and existing. The idea of showcasing your new soundtrack in the form a tailor-made film is something unique for sure and worked out in its favour. You have the excuse to say, if the film is not that good that it wasn’t supposed to be in the first place, its there as a placeholder for something else. To my surprise, it’s a simple but coherent story told in a way to be digestible by anyone. Entergalactic is a visual and audio treat on Netflix with one specific idea and manages to do it magnificently. By @picturesinflow

  • Tadap: An Intense Debut & a Decent Remake

    Reviews by: @mr.cinemaaa Project Details Director: Milan Luthria Based On: "RX 100" (2018) By Ajay Bhupathi Screenplay: Rajat Arora Produced By: Sajid Nadiadwala Production Houses: Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment & Fox Star Studios Cinematography: Ragul Dharuman Music/Songs: Pritam Background Score: John Stewart Eduri Edited By: Rajesh G. Pandey Production Design: Ajay Vipin Costumes: Rohit Chaturvedi & Aki Narula Action/Stunts: Stefan Richter & Vikram Dahiya Sound Design: Parikshit Lalwani Run Time: 2 Hours & 09 Minutes CBFC Rating: "U/A" Direction & Story Based in Mussoorie, Ishana meets foreign returned Ramisa. As their passionate romance brews, Ishana falls madly in love with her, but things turn out differently. What seemed to be a good relationship gets hit by the most unexpected storm. How he copes with it forms the soul of this incredible love story. The original story by Ajay Bhupathi is good. Though it is ordinary in the first half, the twist in the second half is unpredictable and is the main USP of the film. The screenplay by Rajat Arora is okay. 'RX 100' was a long film but Rajat has shortened the narrative and made it crisp at several places for a better impact. Milan Luthria's direction is simple and straightforward. He makes sure that the film is a decent remake and he has also extracted wonderful work from all his actors. The little changes he made to the love story, songs, & setting up the film on a bigger scale looks good. Lead Performances Ahan Shetty makes a confident debut. He is a bit stiff in certain scenes but at places, he shines very well, especially in the second half. He looks good, has a wonderful physique, and a decent screen presence. If he can improve a bit with his acting skills, he is for sure someone to watch out for in the coming years. Tara Sutaria looks glamorous and acts wonderfully in a role that is completely different from her past two films. She impresses in the scene where she talks with Daddy and also in the pre-climax & climax sequences. Saurabh Shukla excels in the role of Daddy. He emotes well and also makes us laugh here and there. Kumud Mishra is dependable. as the heroine's father. Sumit Gulati is pretty decent as Lol, the hero's friend. Saurav Chakrabarti does very well as Guthli. Rajesh Khera, Mangal Kenkre, Brij B, Hashim Haider, Sohaila Kapur and others are fine in their parts. Detailed Analysis The film starts off in an intense manner. The entry of Ahan followed by the opening fight sets the mood. Viewers will be curious to know why the hero is so angry and why this hatred for Damodar & his men. Later the flashback portions lack the spark it needed and the love track doesn't click much because of the dull chemistry between the lead actors. Also, the shirtless scene which proved to be the soul of 'RX 100', is completely diluted in 'Tadap' which in turn reduced the impact towards the climax. The second half also has a few boring scenes, but the twist in the tale thankfully saves the day. The final fight and the finale will leave viewers satisfied with the plot. The pre-climax portions and the climax scene are the best ones of the film. The CGI generated light which represents the soul of the hero is a Few dialogues look very outdated. very good idea & is presented well. Technical Team Direction: 3.5/5 Story: 4/5 Screenplay: 3/5 Dialogues: 2/5 Music/Songs: 4.5/5 Background Score: 4/5 Production Values: 4.5/5 Cinematography: 4.5/5 Editing: 3.5/5 Costumes: 4.5/5 Choreography: 3.5/5 VFX/Graphics: 4/5 Sound Design: 3.5/5 Plus Points Ahan Shetty's Intense Debut & Performance Tara Sutaria's Performance Saurabh Shukla's Performance Songs & Background Score Basic Plot & Twists At The End Cinematography & Production Values Climax & Tumse Bhi Zyada Song Minus Points Few Poorly Written Dialogues Dull Chemistry Between The Leads Diluted Shirtless Scene Which Is The Soul Screenplay In Parts First Half Final Verdict An intense debut & a decent remake with some very good music. P.S.: Tumse Bhi Zyada Tumse Pyaar Kiya. A line/song that sums up the film Recommended: Yes Mr.Cinema Rating: 3/5 0.5 - Unbearable 1.0 - Avoid 1.5 - Flop 2.0 - Below Average 2.5 - Average 3.0 - Watchable 3.5 - Hit 4.0- Super Hit 4.5 - Blockbuster 5.0 - Mega Hit By @mr.cinemaaa

  • Supremes: France still Struggles with the Same Demons

    Reviews by: @les_recos_de_seb Il faut le dire d'emblée : ceux qui attendent un biopic retraçant toute la carrière de NTM et qui se pencherait sur l'impact culturel énorme du groupe, et les vagues suscitées par leur musique, en ressortiront invariablement déçus. Non pas qu'Audrey Estrougo, la réalisatrice, n'aborde jamais ce dernier point, mais le cœur de son film est ailleurs : en se concentrant sur les 4 premières années du duo, galaxie foisonnante autour duquel gravitait tout un groupe, jusqu'à leur premier concert à Bercy, la réalisatrice nous montre comment 2 fils d'immigrés, que rien ne destinait à priori à rencontrer le succès, surent trouver le rythme et l'énergie qui ont fait de leur dynamique un cocktail explosif, cocktail qui embrasa cette France des années 80 ne sachant proposer que misère, déterminisme et invisibilisation aux habitants des banlieues, qui lorsqu'ils avaient le malheur de relever la tête ou seulement essayer de se plaindre se prenaient des coups de matraques. Ça vous rappelle quelque chose ? Normal, c'est désormais tout le pays qui est traité comme tel. Supremes c'est l'histoire d'une amitié que tout aurait pu faire exploser, tant Didier et Bruno, aka JoeyStarr et Kool Shen, auraient eu des raisons d'arrêter : entre le rejet et les humiliations de Joey par son père, son alcoolisme et sa toxicomanie en forme d'exutoire, les bastons dans les MJC des autres cités dans lesquelles ils commençaient à jouer, qui les voyaient comme venant de territoires rivaux, un entourage ingérable et une culture dominante bourgeoise, des médias aux maisons de disques, complètement hermétiques à l'existence d'une culture populaire autre que la sienne, les cartes n'étaient vraiment pas en leur faveur. Reste la chance et le destin, qui permirent à leur talent de devenir visible, et de briller durablement. Conseillés à l'écriture par les 2 chanteurs, le film doit beaucoup à l'interprétation bluffante des 2 acteurs principaux, qui les incarnent à merveille jeune. On entendra assurément encore parler d'eux. Fans ou pas de rap, Suprêmes est un incontournable, parce que la France dont il parle se débat toujours, 30 ans plus tard, avec les mêmes démons. By @les_recos_de_seb

  • In Time: A Bomb With a Short Fuse

    Reviews by: @picturesinflow In Time is a sci-fi/thriller film set in the not-so-distant future where everyone grows up to the age of 25 and then a 1-year timer starts ticking down. That 1-year countdown serves as a constant reminder to not stop, as money does not exist in this world, rather everyone has a clock on their hand and they are paid in literal time. Time is scarce in this world and almost all of the population lives from day to day, with just a few hours left to spare each day. We follow Will Salas (Played by Justin Timberlake) as he scrounges the world in search of, well, time. Finding a way to earn more, while working ungodly hours, rampant set-in inflation, and all that while not sleeping much, as sleeping in can literally kill you. One thing leads to another where death is even more and more of a constant occurrence, as those people who live day by day with just a few hours, now cannot even do that. A transaction gone bad, chased by the cops, kidnapping the ‘wrong’ person and much more all lead to a climactic end of little meaning. That aforementioned inflation can set in without any warning and your calculated budget will not get you past today, which now we know what that means. Shot in Los Angeles with a constant dread set upon the city (or at least the part where the poor live). However, not far from there is a place where everyone can visit, but due to travel, hotel, dining cost and much more, only the wealthy can survive there. That said place on the other hand is clean, sophisticated and of upper class. In Time can be interpreted as many things and doesn’t shy away to lay down an open canvas, and ultimately lets everyone get a different meaning out of it. Watching a sci-fi movie from time to time can be refreshing, especially if its premise sounds interesting. In Time offers an interesting story and not much more. By @picturesinflow

  • The Sopranos, Band of Brothers & The Wire: How HBO Changed Television Forever

    Prior to 1999 and the ongoing early 2000’s, television was always seen as a “lesser” art form to cinema. Though previous shows like Twin Peaks showed a cinematic potential for television as a serious artistic enterprise, TV’s potential for cinematic storytelling was still in its infancy. From the years 1999-2002 however, prestige cable network HBO produced three legendary, critically acclaimed and groundbreaking series; The Sopranos (1999-2007), Band of Brothers (2001), and The Wire (2002-2008), which would both change the landscape of television forever and kickstart the Golden Age of TV as we know it today. The Sopranos first aired on HBO in 1999, before finishing in 2007. It follows New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano (played by the late great James Gandolfini) as he undergoes psychiatric therapy to deal with his ever-growing depression and anxiety as he tries to deal with balancing his domestic family life with his criminal mob life. The show, despite ostensibly being a Mafia drama, is in reality, so much more than that. It is a meditation on mental health, the modern human condition, existential dread, depression, urban/societal decay and the hollow emptiness of the American Dream. Tony Soprano is by far one of the most fascinating and complex characters in the history of fiction. He is a character the audience can both simultaneously relate to and be repulsed by. Like me, I find him in some ways relatable, as he too is fond of film, history (particularly WWII history), and struggles with mental health problems much like myself. However, I am also repulsed by him as he is a racist who frequently disparages ethnic minorities, a misogynist who treats women like objects, and a violent, brutal gangster who preys on honest hard-working folks and takes what he believes is his. James Gandolfini’s ingenious portrayal of the character makes Tony both relatable and repugnant at the same time, showing the character’s two sides: the loving family man who is particularly protective and affectionate towards his teenage daughter Meadow and who pets animals, and the vicious, cold-blooded gangster who kills and brutalises those who get in his way. It is a true testament to the writing and Gandolfini’s performance that Tony is as complex, fascinating and three-dimensional as he is. The Sopranos also vividly depicts America as an ageing empire in rapid decay. The effects of conservative neoliberalism and later President George W. Bush’s War on Terror show decrepit poverty in New Jersey’s inner cities, and the alienating effects that neoliberalism and Bush’s surveillance state have perpetuated onto the American psyche and American cities. The decrepit cities and urban poverty as showcased in The Sopranos would later be expanded upon in The Wire, which I’ll get to later. Overall, The Sopranos’ generous budget, cinematic camerawork, and fantastic acting and writing helped massively elevate TV to an equal, if not greater status, as film when it comes to artistic storytelling. HBO’s landmark WWII epic miniseries, Band of Brothers, created and produced by film industry legends Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, helped continue, if not expand, on The Sopranos’ cinematic elevation of prestige television. Produced on a whopping budget of $125 million across ten episodes ($12.5 million per episode), Band of Brothers was produced on the same big budget and cinematic grandeur as a Hollywood World War II epic. The groundbreaking miniseries follows the story of Easy Company, 506th Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, U.S. Army, told primarily through the perspectives of best friends Richard D. Winters (played by Damian Lewis) and Lewis Nixon (played by Ron Livingston). Based on interviews with survivors of Easy Company, as well as soldiers' journals and letters, this 10-part series chronicles the experiences of these young men who knew extraordinary bravery and extraordinary fear. Band of Brothers was an absolute landmark in television history. It brought the scope of history and the horrors of World War II to life on the small screen as never ever seen before on television. The large-scale, big budget battles, brutal violence, and emphasis of the toll WWII took on its soldiers felt far more like something out of a Hollywood blockbuster than a television miniseries. The friendship and comradely between Winters, Nixon and the other members of Easy Company, was also fleshed out and expanded upon in ways a film cannot deliver, making us grow that much more attached to them due to the longer luxury granted to them by the medium of television. The epic, cinematic scope of Band of Brothers, along with The Sopranos, helped completely obliterate the barriers between the big and small screens and their  previously different potentials for large-scale cinematic storytelling. The show’s most famous and upsetting episode, “Why We Fight” shows the horrors that US soldiers discover when liberating the prisoners of a Nazi concentration camp. The burnt corpses, emaciated bodies, and sheer terror on the Jewish prisoners’ faces as they tearfully hug their liberators brings unprecedented emotion as the full horrors of Nazi Germany’s evil regime are shown right before our very eyes. Previously, the soldiers, particularly Nixon, failed to see the point in why they were fighting such a long, costly and brutal war. But upon seeing the sheer inhumanity and suffering brought onto so many innocent people, Winters, Nixon and the rest of Easy Company are reminded once again “Why We Fight”. This shows that despite the millions of lives lost and civilisations destroyed, World War II was a necessary war that had to be fought in order to stop Hitler’s evil regime from eradicating all races they saw as “inferior” and from massacring their way across Europe. It is by far the most emotional episode of the series, and quite possibly, the most emotional episode in the history of mainstream television. Band of Brothers viscerally brought history to life as never seen before on television, and has since paved the way for the era of large-scale epic cinematic storytelling on our TV screens which still continues to this very day. Finally, The Wire, created by David Simon, is a sprawling look at urban poverty and societal decay in the impoverished American city of Baltimore, Maryland; examining the socio-economic conditions of poverty which leads young black men into a life of crime, while also tackling government corruption and police brutality as part of Simon’s scathing critique of institutional corruption. The series follows a variety of characters, most notably police detective Jimmy McNulty (Dominic West), ambitious drug dealer Stringer Bell (Idris Elba), and fan-favourite Omar Little (the late, great Michael K. Williams), the latter being a modern-day Robin Hood archetype. Like its predecessors, The Sopranos and Band of Brothers before it, The Wire’s long-term and continuous cinematic approach to storytelling helped revolutionise television and kickstart the Golden Age of prestige television as we know and love it today. The Wire is quite possibly the most political of the three series. The show’s bleak depiction of the urban housing projects where young black men are all but forced into a life of crime to earn a living is at the core of the show. The bleak and miserable conditions that many of the show’s impoverished black characters live in is heavily juxtaposed with the comfortable and modest lifestyles of the mostly white Baltimore Police Force and City Council. Characters like the iconic Omar Little are depicted in an extremely sympathetic manner, choosing a life of crime out of desperation to climb out of the cycle of poverty brought onto them by white institutions and corruption. Omar’s depiction as a gay black man who stalls fear into the hearts of Baltimore’s criminal underworld was also revolutionary for the time, depicting a complex black LGBT character with nuance and complexities never previously seen before on television. Omar Little is rightly regarded, alongside Tony Soprano and Walter White, as among the greatest and most iconic characters to ever grace television screens. Omar is in many ways, the heart and soul of The Wire. The Wire is also a series that rings eerily prescient in the current era of police brutality and the Black Lives Matter movement. The show repeatedly depicts both the police and city council as woefully corrupt institutions who continuously subjugate black men of lower social classes than them. Police brutality is shown several times throughout the show, with high-ranking officers such as John Doman’s Major Rawls often using racial slurs when referring to black criminals, while the cops, particularly Domenick Lombardozzi’s Herc, are often showing brutalising and intimidating black suspects. The show also examines institutional corruption, primarily through Aidan Gillen’s corrupt politician Tommy Carcetti, who uses the police to ramp up high-profile arrests, rather than do anything to try curb the perpetual cycle of poverty which causes crime in Baltimore in the first place. The left-wing political views of many of the show’s cast and crew, including creator David Simon, actors Wendell Pierce and the late Michael K. Williams, only serve to reinforce the show’s anti-establishment themes and eery prescience to modern-day American corruption. Creator David Simon even once proclaimed that his show bluntly shows that “the American Dream is dead”, with the show’s depiction of urban poverty and societal decay serving as a chilling precursor to the rise of far-right nationalism among many of America’s Republican politicians today. The Wire ultimately rings equally relevant, if not more so today, than it did when it first aired. The show’s depiction of urban poverty and the United States as an empire in decay helped serve as a chilling precursor to the rise of Trump and far-right ideologies in the US, with the US public being fed up with the status quo and the way things are. The show’s depiction of urban poverty and the effects it has on black citizens in the projects ultimately demonstrates the institutional corruption which leads young black men into crime. The show’s unflattering depiction of the corrupt and often racist police forces also makes the show an ever-relevant landmark for the current Black Lives Matter era, ringing especially true with much of the show’s left-leaning cast and crew supporting the current BLM movement. Overall, The Sopranos, Band of Brothers and The Wire, all ultimately demonstrate how HBO changed television forever in the early 2000’s, and why HBO remain at the top of the TV food chain to this very day. With layered and complex characters, higher budgets, cinematic approach to storytelling, and themes ranging from history to war, poverty and corruption, mental health and urban decay, these three shows ultimately served as the benchmark for modern television, and ultimately remain to this day, my three favourite television shows and works of media ever produced. By @tvnerdaran

  • Tusk: Oh Boy, What the Hell was That?

    Reviews by: @trickstaz Oh boy, was zur Hölle war das? Eine schwarzhumorige Horrorkomödie laut Wikipedia, aber dafür war es mir ein bisschen zu unwitzig. Satirische Ansätze über moderne Dekadenz und Oberflächlichkeit sind rar gesät, platt gedacht, aber immerhin manchmal eloquent vom Antagonisten formuliert: „Das Gute im Menschen wurde schon lange durch Reality-TV lobotomisiert.“ Ich habe mir dann ein wenig die Entstehungsgeschichte ergoogelt und erfahren, dass Regisseur Kevin Smith den Film basierend auf einem seiner Podcasts entworfen hat und vor diesem Hintergrund hat er sich mir sogar ein wenig erschlossen. Nicht etwa, weil der Protagonist Podcaster ist, und das neue Medium im Film exemplarisch für die Stupidität und den Zynismus der Massenmedien steht, sondern weil die Podcast-Tonalität ziemlich gut die des Films trifft: Es wird zusammenhanglos und diskontinuierlich rumgebrabbelt; verkackte Pointen werden zügig abgelöst von peinlichen Anekdoten, Weltgeschichte oder sensiblen Themen wie Kindesmissbrauch. Wobei man keine Angst haben muss, dass es allzu flach wird; im Zweifelsfall ist die eigene Blödheit die Pointe; zumindest als Youtuber kann man sich das leisten, von Regisseuren wird mehr erwartet. So ist der Film viel zu überzeichnet, als dass man ihm seine sinnbefreite Walross-Body-Horror-Psycho-Killer-Absurdität vorwerfen könnte. Ich müsste lügen, wenn ich behaupten würde, „Tusk“ hätte mich nicht zwischendurch auch mal unterhalten und für richtigen Trash gibt sich die Kamera insgesamt zu viel Mühe, aber unterm Strich erreicht der Film so wenig, wie er sich vorgenommen hat: Er ist unvorhersehbar weil planlos und ulkig weil dumm. "Tusk" gibt's gerade bei Netflix. By @trickstaz

  • Minamata: The Picture of a Sad Story

    Reviews by: @picturesinflow Minamata walks a fine line of being a straight up documentary with slight deviations and an even sadder romance. It tells the story of a war Photographer named W. Eugene Smith who travels to Japan in the year 1971 in order to document the devastating effects of mercury poisoning in coastal communities. He meets various characters who deepen the story through their own experiences and how what is happening directly affected them. Just to clear something up, Johnny Depp never impressed me as an actor, he was one of those one-sided actors who always does the same routine in every film. Would probably put him a few places above Ryan Reynolds in that one type actor category. They found out what works for them and that particular thing always brings in the audience, but when you stop and think, some mannerisms get stale quick. This movie changed my view on that and showed everyone what Johnny can actually do, some would even call it a career best and they are absolutely right about that. Minamata is slow and methodical, introducing constantly newer threads and expanding them, accompanied with some frightening/intense scenes of that aforementioned mercury poisoning and solid acting, it excels in every aspect. Highly recommend this one, however be ready for a gripping albeit sad story about greed and how much humanity will persevere in the most trying times. Even if you aren’t interested in the place or story, just witnessing Johnny in this role after that whole fiasco with Amber and after so many losses, even a bittersweet victory is still a victory. By @picturesinflow

  • Cyberpunk: Edgerunners - A Depressive but Beautiful Adventure

    Reviews by: @picturesinflow Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is an anime based around the a tabletop game for 1988 called Cyberpunk. Last year we got Arcane which was based around a video game to which it respected immensely, while keeping up with the lore and adding even more to the already existing one. Edgerunners, due to what happens in the series, seems to be taking place before the game, so at least in terms of spoilers there are none. In addition, many of the radio stations, weapons, vehicles, NPCs and much more is present here, even some UI elements like the text messages and the minimap are taken straight from the game. It sticks to its roots without trying to be bigger rather a smaller, but much needed companion. Moody, depressive, stylistic, beautiful, gory, 18+ mannerisms and dialogue, all that and much more add to the overall atmosphere. Cyberpunk was always all that, changing genres on a whim depending on what the story required, and the series does it with exactly the same perfection. Each episode flows smoothly into the next with bombastic action pieces and some rather somber quiet moments. Edgerunners presents breathtaking visuals, dialogue is fast and snappy, music traverses between all possible emotions and much more. If you are on the fence about giving it a shot, I implore you to do just that. Cyberpunk: 2077 got a bad reputation owing to its disastrous launch, and that remains true even to this day, even if the devs are trying their hardest to fix it. It will always be remembered as exactly that as one overhyped piece of gaming media. Edgerunners is made for exactly those players who actually stuck throughout the hardships of those early weeks and months (and they were pretty rough), but its easily digestible by everyone even slightly interested in its premise. You can find Cyberpunk: Edgerunners on Netflix. By @picturesinflow

  • Twilight: 10 Reasons Why It's a Cultural Reset

    Reviews by: @not_a_show We loved it and we hated it, we sided with team Edward and team Jacob, we disowned him when we realized (perhaps too late) that he told a very boring story, but, despite everything, we still remember the period in which the Twilight phenomenon had exploded with great affection and nostalgia. Today we think of the Twilight saga as a guilty pleasure, a series of films (and novels) to be watched with the brain switched off to make fun of the gooey love story between Bella Swan and Edward Cullen, to criticize Kristen's woody acting Stewart, to remind ourselves that the only characters who deserved a shred of affection were the misunderstood vampire Rosalie (the only one who occasionally sent Bella to hell); the apprehensive Charlie (whose coronary heart was blown by the protagonist) and the third wheel Jacob. Although for all of us it is now just a guilty pleasure, Twilight has become a real cornerstone of pop culture, because after the Stephenie Meyer saga we have never seen some things with the same eyes again. 10 Times Twilight Was a Cultural Reset 1. When “the lion fell in love with the lamb“. Who hasn't engraved in their memory the words with which Edward and Bella first expressed their feelings for each other after discovering Edward's vampire nature? Edward: So the lion fell in love with the lamb. Bella Swan: What a stupid lamb. Edward: What a crazy, masochistic lion. 2. When all of us readers have learned by heart what is written on the back cover of the first volume: Of three things I was quite certain. First, Edward was a vampire. Second, a part of him – who knows which and how important – was thirsty for my blood. Third, I was totally, unconditionally in love with him. 3. When, after Edward showed Bella his glittery skin in the sunlight, we never saw Swarovski the same way again. 4. When in New Moon the camera translated the passage of time into a 360 degree turn around Bella. 5. When we all wanted to visit Volterra to find out if Aro, Caius and Marcus were really there. 6. When initially we were all team Edward, but then Taylor Lautner showed his abs in the rain in the cinema and we sided with team Jacob. 7. When in Eclipse team Jacob had a joy for the first time. 8. When, every time the word "imprinting" appeared in a biology book, we thought of the werewolves of the saga. 9. When Bella tried to seduce Edward on their honeymoon, but he tried to resist biting pillows at random because he was afraid of killing his new wife with f *** o. 10. When Renesmee in CGI was so ugly that even the cast was terrified of it. By @not_a_show

  • Moonlighter: A Roguelike with a Unique Twist

    Reviews by: @picturesinflow At the backbone of every roguelike style game is its difficulty, its replayability, its freedom and, most importantly, its gameplay loop in an attempt to keep players enticed for many more fun hours. Moonlighter offers everything mentioned above with a lot of attention on each of its mechanics. However, while the dungeon-crawling elements are very well done, as every roguelike should be, rather the simple management mechanics of owning a shop and selling items from fallen enemies is where it shined the brightest. Gameplay: Moonlighter brings a unique blend of dungeon-crawling goodness and a store management simulator. The main protagonist must engage with 5 unique dungeons forgotten by time with each having unique enemies and specific requirements to meet. Items fallen from enemies can be gathered and later invested in upgrading your equipment or put for sale. The store is the second main gameplay aspect, which is a very emotion-based market with likes and dislikes depending on set price. With the store many different events can happen through the day, thieves trying to steal hard earned items, wealthy people just coming up and boasting, and even NPCs coming and asking for specific items. Those said NPCs are asking for specific items from your current dungeon or to back-track to a previous one, each player must decide if the reward is worth it. You have a shop assistant which serves several purposes from catching thieves or even taking over the store for a day, but for a cut of the profits. Your clients react differently based on the said price and if they think it is worth that much. These reactions come in the form of happy faces (Ha, this dumb twat is selling it on a loss, we are dining tonight) to sad faces (This guy is trying to rip us off here, I am never setting foot in here again). Striving for the perfect balance between getting as much as possible for set item and keeping customers happy is key. Story: Your mission is to take a lone city, which has seen better days, and bring it back to its prime. Basically, make something out of almost nothing, and with some interesting discoveries in addition to a lukewarm twist at the end of the road. While the story is interesting at points, it is not its shining aspect, however gameplay more than covers for it. Here you can see our big brain merchant selling ill-gotten items to mostly clueless clients. All in a hard day’s work of serious dungeon-crawling and even more series dying over and over. Graphics and animation: Everything in the world of Moonlighter weaves and sways in the wind. Graphics vary greatly from person to person and something that is beautiful for one may not be for someone else. Moonlighter animates environments and mobs with a unique cartoony touch, which adds to the cute atmosphere. Some enemies have an over-the-top wind-up animation following either basic attacks or charged-up heavy ones, and that stays true for the main character as well. When in the shop every collected item is displayed in their situated place and can be covered with designated glass panels for protection from thieves. Music and sound cues: Indie games have that magical in-between position in the games industry, where you would think they don’t have enough spare budget to hire a whole orchestra or invest in some well-known composer. However, indie games often bring to light ingenuity and creativity accompanied with limited resources and Moonlight lands firmly in that said spot. Soundtrack sounds medieval with a whim of magical prowess sprinkled in spots. On the other hand, sound cues are a definite stand-out here, from a simple slash of a weapon, fall from a platform to the diverse sounds of satisfied or dissatisfied clients. Customization: Customization comes from bought armor and furniture for the store. Each armor is beautifully designed and is focused on different aspects. The heaviest one gives the most health, but slows you down, another may do the opposite and so on. Each armor changes how your character looks in a small but meaningful way. On the other hand, buying furniture for the store, as you can guess, does change its visuals and adds certain effects. Those effects range from customers moving faster and staying for longer, open hours become longer and reduces the chance of thieves. These small changes add up to the overall immersion of the game and gives the sense that you are actually building something meaningful. So, you can kill enemies, get better at dungeon-crawling (learn patterns and types of attack), experience a variety of biomes and stages, and to top all that, then sell you have gathered? Sign me right up! Weapon variety: Your main source of damage is divided into a few melee and ranged weapon choices. Sword + shield, two-handed sword, spear, brass knuckles and a bow is what is on offer and again, as with the armors, each is situated for a different style of play. Personally, I went with the two-handed sword and focused on heavy (slow) armor and it worked out perfectly. End Game state of play: After finishing the game, beating every dungeon, selling all you need to sell and witnessing the twist what is left to do? Well, challenging yourself by beating any dungeon with only 1 weapon or by not using potions, finding out the perfect selling price for every item (there are a lot items), earning every achievement or getting as much as you can. DLC: Moonlighter so far has only one DLC named Between Dimensions which adds new challenges in the form of new enemies and bosses, weapons, armor, new items to sell and much more. I have not played it, but judging by the base game and how polished it was, I would expect the same level of polish for their only DLC. If you so happen to like the base game and are eager to continue the adventure, Between Dimensions seems to scratch that particular itch rather perfectly. You can find Moonlighter on Windows (Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG.com, Humble Bundle, GameFly (For PS4/Switch), Green Man Gaming, Xbox App), macOS, SteamOS + Linux, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Android and IOS. By @picturesinflow

  • Thor Ragnarok: New Thunder

    Reviews by: @augustkellerwrites Thor: Ragnarok revives its franchise by being funny, energetic, and stylish. Its plot isn't wholly original, but it's decently unique and steadily motivated. The villain is fairly standard (lacking development and feeling uninvolved), but her origins help and Blanchett relishes the role. Besides that, Ragnarok is purposeful. Thor's obstacle reflects his arc regarding displacement. Valkyrie is intriguingly flawed, Loki’s relationship evolves, and Hulk’s inclusion is dynamic. Plus, there's comedic wit, consistent payoff, and productive (albeit thin) drama. Overall, Ragnarok has personality that was woefully missing from its predecessors and is one of the best MCU films. Technically, Ragnarok is equally flavorful. There's cinematic framing, motion, color, composition, and lighting. The abstract flashbacks and flashy combat shots particularly impress. The editing uses jump cuts, fade outs, pacing, slow motion, smash cuts, and intercuts to create surrealism. The sound enhances ambiance, emotions, battles, weather, and magic. The production design is varied across planets and feels more thorough. The cast has cameos, the effects punctuate tones, and the direction is cohesive. Lastly, the soundtrack utilizes pop hits, synths, and regional music, consistently supporting the material. Ultimately, Ragnarok will satisfy all viewers and nearly transcends its genre. Writing: 7/10 Direction: 8/10 Cinematography: 8/10 Acting: 7/10 Editing: 8/10 Sound: 8/10 Score/Soundtrack: 9/10 Production Design: 8/10 Casting: 10/10 Effects: 7/10 Overall Score: 8.0/10 By @augustkellerwrites

  • Tigers Are Not Afraid: What an Unexpected Treat This Was

    Reviews by: @there_willbe_spoilers Tigers Are Not Afraid focuses almost entirely on the abandoned, forgotten Children that roam the streets in Mexico; their parents missing or removed by the violence of the Cartel. It's a fantasy horror in the same vein as Guillermo Del Toro. It can feel like a melancholy and child-like fable but has a nasty and creepy edge to it. It never reaches the heights that Del Toro is able to climb (Devil's Backbone and Pan's Labyrinth are in a league of their own) but it is an admirable attempt that has some very effective moments. This is a ghost story in many ways. One day Estrella's Mother leaves home and never returns. Estrella is lost; her Mother taken away without so much as a goodbye, this lack of closure a lingering entity throughout. The spectre of violence then looms over our main character throughout in the form of a ghostly blood trail that follows her around. Then, of course, there's the actual ghosts that haunt Estrella. The moments of horror throughout are very effective indeed, their interactions with Estrella similar to the ones in Pan's Labyrinth. This includes a moment towards the end (no spoilers) which would normally be a very tender, heart-wrenching moment of drama but doubles as one of the creepiest scenes in the whole film. It's this combination of emotional drama, childish fable and creepy horror that make T.A.N.A special. With its brisk runtime and powerful ending, it left a mark on me that I was not expecting. However it's not perfect. A lot of the thematic material here isn't really explored. The children engage in lots of pseudo-intellectual dialogue which comes across as a bit forced. Furthermore, there are streaks of humour here and there that feel completely out of place. The film's more emotional and dramatic moments don't always land either... there are some pretty shocking scenes but I was never truly invested in the characters enough to be too affected. That being said, it works more than it doesn't, and when it works it REALLY works. There are some very memorable moments here and overall it achieves the fantasy horror balance it opts for. You can watch it on shudder. By @there_willbe_spoilers

  • Ford V Ferrari: Captivating Cinema

    Reviews by: @rabz_reel_reviews I’m a sucker for James Mangold movies. I basically like them all. From Logan to Identity. Hell, I even have a soft spot for Knight and Day. He’s great at telling a story and more than not, the end result also looks and feels beautiful and with Ford V Ferrari, it’s much the same. There is very strong performances by the 2 main actors, Christian Bale and Matt Damon, which presumably is what you’d expect from 2 of the best actors on the planet at the moment and a director that’s really in the groove. This film works for the most part and overall I was very impressed. The cinematography especially here the high point for me. The film looks great. The story has heart. The plot will reach past the average car racing enthusiast, as the main cored the story focuses mainly on the friendship and working relationship with Bale and Damon’s character. The film has energy and when it’s turns up a notch in latter part of the film it’s captivating cinema. As a film, somewhat focused on car racing, it’s up there with my favourite but just slightly misses out on the top spot, which belongs to Ron Howard’s, Rush. The only negative i have is perhaps that it felt just slightly too long at 2 and half hours but again, that’s perhaps clutching at straws because I never found my interest waning that much. I just feel maybe knocking 20 minutes off the run-time would of benefited it. Otherwise I definitely recommend Ford V Ferrari. By @rabz_reel_reviews

  • Chhorii: A Good Socially Relevant Message with a Tinge of Fear

    Reviews by: @mr.cinemaaa Project Details Director: Vishal Furia Based On: "Lapachhapi" (2017) by Vishal Furia Written By: Vishal Furia & Vishal Kapoor Produced By: Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar Vikram Malhotra, Jack Davis, Shikhaa Sharma & Shiv Chanana Production Houses: Abundantia Entertainment, Crypt TV, T-Series & A Pshych Film Cinematography: Anshul Chobey Music/Songs: Ranjan Patnaik Background Score: Ketan Sodha Edited By: Unnikrishnan P.P Sheetal Duggal & Hemant Kumar Production Design: Vishakha Kullarwar Costumes: Baylon Sound Design: Fonseca Run Time: 2 Hours & 09 Minutes CBFC Rating: "U/A" Direction & Story The film is about an 8-month pregnant, named Sakshi who must save herself and her unborn child from the evil within society and from the fear that lies in the paranormal world. How will she do it? forms the rest. Chhorii is an official remake of the 2016’s critically acclaimed Marathi film 'Lapachhapi' by Vishal Furia. The story by Vishal Furia is superb. It talks about a very important message about female feticide and the way he wrote the film convincingly deserves applause. The screenplay by Vishal Furia & Vishal Kapoor is just about okay. The narrative moves at an excruciatingly slow pace & runs on a single track making it look a bit monotonous & repetitive at times. But the climax & a few well-written scenes save things towards the end. Vishal Furia’s direction is first-rate. The messaging of the remake stays true to its original and he doesn’t change the essence & has bettered it in a neat manner. Lead Performances Nushrratt Bharuccha is undoubtedly the stand-out performer of the film. She proves that she can play more versatile & performance-oriented roles with this film & gives out a memorable performance as Sakshi. Another best part of the whole film is Mita Vashisht’s portrayal of Bhanno Devi. Her character sees a complete 180-degree transformation & she does it to perfection with her dialogue delivery & body language. Saurabh Goyal is pretty decent as Sakshi’s husband. The young boys played by Nirvighna Pathe, Manas Tondwalkar, and Hayat Ali are quite good. Yaaneea Bharadwaj & Pallavi Ajay make their presence felt as Sunaini & Rani respectively. Rajesh Jais is neat in the role of driver Kajala. Manas Tondwalkar, Hayat Ali, Nirvighna Pathe, and the rest of the cast lend decent support & are good in their respective parts. Detailed Analysis The film starts off slowly. The first 15 minutes have nothing much to do. The actual plot starts from the point where they get into the sugarcane fields. The film keeps you engaged with the plot from then even if the pace is a bit slow at places. The pre-interval is gripping while the interval is good. The second half also runs on a dead slow pace and confuses a bit here and there. But the last 30 minutes & the message in the climax make it a worth watch. The horror scenes are decent and the thrill elements manage to hold our attention in most of the parts. What bothered me a lot is the age dynamics of the film. How is Bhanno’s elder son elder enough to kill people but her other three sons are less than 10 years? And if that is the case, why isn’t he ageing at all? The flashback scenes are narrated The dialogues are well-written. crisply which is a good plus Technical Team Direction: 4/5 Story: 4/5 Screenplay: 3/5 Dialogues: 4/5 Music/Songs: 5/5 Background Score: 4/5 Production Values: 4.5/5 Cinematography: 4.5/5 Editing: 3/5 Costumes: 4.5/5 Choreography: 4/5 VFX/Graphics: 4.5/5 Sound Design: 5/5 Plus Points Nushrratt Bharuccha's Performance Mita Vasisht's Performance All Supporting Cast Story & A Very Good Message Cinematography & Production Values Background Score & Sound Effects A Few Thrill/Horror Elements Pre Interval & Last 30 Minutes Minus Points First 15 Minutes Slow Pace At Times Lag In Second Half A Bit Confusing At Places Final Verdict This Chhorii gives a good socially relevant message with a tinge of fear. P.S.: This is for sure Nushrratt Bharuccha ' s best performance till date. Recommended: Yes Mr.Cinema Rating: 3.5/5 0.5 - Unbearable 1.0 - Avoid 1.5 - Flop 2.0 - Below Average 2.5 - Average 3.0 - Watchable 3.5 - Hit 4.0- Super Hit 4.5 - Blockbuster 5.0 - Mega Hit By @mr.cinemaaa

  • Hairspray: This Movie is for Music Lovers

    Reviews by: @yacchi_to_movienglish ⌚117分 🔉U-NEXT ジャンル: ミュージカル/コメディ 〇英語の難易度 ★★★☆☆ 〇感想 1度聴いたら1週間は頭の中に残り続ける曲「Good Morning Baltimore」からのスタート♪ 最初からずっと歌って踊ってで 片時も休ませてくれない笑 そんなミュージカルの王道!!的な この映画はミュージカル好きには たまらんのよね~~ (⚠︎ミュージカル苦手な人は気をつけて🤭) そして音楽はもちろん、内容もしっかりしているからこそ、この映画には没入していける。 1960年代の、黒人と白人の人種差別がまだ根深い時代設定や、体型などの見た目に対する"美のステレオタイプ"がちゃんと描かれていて、とても良い作品だと思う。 このような背景があるから、トレイシーが自分の体型を気にしているママに向けて言った、"人と違ってることがいいことなの"という言葉がかなり刺さる。 それにしても、だよ。 トレイシーママを演じるジョン・トラヴォルタさんには超びっくり!!😳😳 始めてこの映画を観たとき、普通に女性だと思ったもん。 しぐさ、表情、細かな感情がまさに女性そのもので、そのパーフェクトさに本当にすごいな!って思った。 ジョン・トラヴォルタさんが女装をしてると知ったあのときの衝撃を私は一生忘れない。 (恨みがあるわけではない笑) その他の脇役も、脇役という言葉で片付けられないほどの存在感があってどのシーンを観ていても楽しい。 居残り票を書く先生すらもハマり役でちょっとツボ笑笑 アイデンティティって素晴らしい👏 とにかくハッピーになれる映画😁✌ 音楽とダンスの力ってすごい! だからやっぱり私はミュージカルが大好きだ~~❣️ By @yacchi_to_movienglish

  • Rick & Morty: What the F!$k, Morty ?!

    Reviews by: @the_owlseyes What have you done Morty, you motherfu&/%r? I don't know Rick, I...I did what yout told me. When I've said that our next adventure would've been meta, I didn't mean that we would've been..burp...part of a fu&&/(g self-aware review. Damn, I wanted to go to Boob World, it's...it's the second time I don't get to see it. Always horny, Morty. Do you remember what happened last time ahahah? Ok Rick, you won it. Geez. May I start? Oh it's you, son of a b$&/h. Let us go, we don't care about your stupid review. Actually, I didn't even started it. I can let you go only if you help me complete it. Rick, it could be awesome. Wait, will Jessica read it? Sure she will Morty. She's one of our followers. Hey a%%hole, we're not here to play your lame games. Let us go back to my car. No, I don't think I will. Don't pull the Captain America meme with me...burp...mot)((&$cker. No I didn't. Alright, what do you want us to do. Shut up Morty. What do you want us to do? Reviewing your show. Sh!t. You mo%&%%&/r. Ok, I'll start. Put a picture here. Sure Morty. This..this is a show about me and grandpa Rick and our adventures. We get thr..through universes and sh!t like that. Don't tell him everything Morty, he could be a spy of the Galactic Federation or the Councile of Rick. Do you understand me Morty, do you understand me..burp? I'm not a spy. Sure, and we believe you, right? Your glasses doesn't make you less threatning, dick. Nerds are powerful but I'm far more powerful than...burp..you. It's not a competition Rick. Shut up Rick, let me explain, you selfish f%&k. Our screenwriter are....are good. I mean, they let everyone have an arch. Rick get one too. Morty, I'm still an old a$$hole...burp..the build up is sh!t. Jerry, the dumb dumb, doesn't change. He's stil soooo boriiiing. Well Rick, at least he's a likeable character. Morty...burp..do you know about my fans? I have the most toxic fandom and there're people who think that I'm an example. Sure...sure, why not? An alcoholic scientist who cares only about himself. Rick, you..you stop f%&%&g around. Oh, shut up Morty. We had to change our universe to solve your problems. A lot of times we get into troubles cause of....burp...of your geez, ahahaha. Anyway, who do our voices is pretty good. Justin plays me and Morty. We are...are what we're thanks to him. There're also a lot of guests, like Christina Hendricks, we have fun. Rick, stop telling us about your sex life with Unity and the other planet. What the fu&/k Morty..burp...at least I've lost my virginity. What now? What the f%$&K are we missing? Photography, Editing, Special Effects,.. Shut up! Two of them doesn't matter. No one cares about it. But I do Rick. Ok, genius, tell him something about that. This review is crap. I...I think that our series is amazing, everything is so..so coloured and beautiful. That's it? Morty, you really are a cock sucker ahahah...burp.. I mean...I mean that who designed us and the show has done a good job. Bull&&$t...burp...I have spiky hair and your head looks like a round with two circles. This series has a low tier designer who wants to do more with less, it's a dick. Sure but the aliens and all the other things are good. I think that...that we...we should start respecting our creators. What the f%%/k Morty? I created myself, not some f7868rs with their ass on a chair and a fu$$&%/g pen. I'm own....burp..God. They can't bound me. Are we almost done son of a b/&/h? Sure, you have left soundtrack and costumes. Move Morty, the portal gun is back online. We can live. In your ass, mo%&$%cker. No, wait, how I'm a supposed to end this review? I....I don't know. Have a nice day motherf/(&r. Oh crap, Rick has done it again. Well, I guess that's over. They've managed to get out and I don't know how to finish it. Really. The series is at its 5th season and I don't want to spoil anything to you. This show is the best thing ever. I'm going to give it a vote but consider that this series doesn't need to exist. In fact it's better if you go watching it rather than staying here. Go. Go away. Now. By @the_owlseyes

  • The Mummy Returns: Not So Special Effects

    Reviews by: @the_owlseyes "Why has Scandinavia been producing such good thrillers? Maybe because their filmmakers can't afford millions for CGI and must rely on cheaper elements like, you know, stories and characters" Roger Ebert If you don't have the money to produce good CGI, don't use it. Really, it's better than producing abominations which stay in the audience mind and alienate it, to the point that your movie is only remembered for it and not the characters or the plot. In general we should waste less money when we produce movies and series and try to be more efficient and focused. In a way consumerism is reflected in how special effects are influencing the industry. It's good only when the plot demands it or there's no other way to do it. The truth is that we're becoming lazy and producers are following the trend. I'm a bit ashamed of how our society is ruining the artistic world. And I'm not just talking about movies. PLOT "The mummified body of Imhotep is shipped to a museum in London, where he once again wakes and begins his campaign of rage and terror" or "Like the first one but worse". SCRIPT The plot is pretty simple. The main characters are good, even though they don't have an arch. The kid and his uncle are two comic reliefs who don't bring anything to the plot and feels more like empty shells. Sure, the uncle is entertaining but there's nothing interesting about him, beside the fact that he's greedy. The same goes for the other side characters, who are explored only on the surface and function more like plot devices. The villain has a weak motivation but I like his death, which is contrapposed to O'Connel salvation. It's clear that this movie wants to be as entertaining as possible without going beyong it. There's worst but it isn't enough to qualify this script as a good one. Script: 5/10 ACTING It's bad, almost comical. The leads are the only ones who do an acceptable work. The others are just...awful. I'm so disappointed. I don't want to rant about it so I will stop here. You'll understand why it's so bad while watching the movie. Acting: 4/10 PHOTOGRAPHY This movie is just too bright and oversaturated. Light and Colours don't have a role and there're just a few good shots. I don't consider this section to be good, because it's too mediocre and boring. The director doesn't bring anything new to the table. It works but it makes this movie...common. Photography: 5/10 EDITING Sometimes it's good but most of the time it isn't. There're jump cuts with no reason and sloppy slow motion. When it needs to be a standard movie, it works but I don't find particularly remarkable, as a matter of fact this is below mediocre quality. Editing: 5/10 SPECIAL EFFECTS This movie is famous for his infamous cgi. Sure, it's dated but it could be avoided. The cherry on top is Dwayne Johnson cgi, which is an abomination. I don't think that there's much to say about it. It's downright outrageous. It's hard not to crack a smile when this movie's sloppy cgi is on the screen. It's a 2000's movie but it felt like a 90's movie. Special Effects: 4/10 SOUNDTRACK This is a good score, evn though it becomes repetitive and stagnant after a while. I like the fact that it pays homage to movies like Indiana Jones and such. It's a soundtrack which gives to the movie a sense of wonder and adventure that seems kinda lost today. Sometimes this score it's even exciting. Overall I consider it a good work by Alan Silvestri, evn though is a bit flawed. Soundtrack: 7/10 COSTUMES They seem historically accurate and fits the characters. Obviously the production doesn't try to do something original and the result is a mediocre period flick which, nonetheless, satisfy the audience. Costumes: 6/10 CONCLUSION Script: 5/10 Acting: 4/10 Photography: 5/10 Editing: 5/10 Special Effects: 4/10 Soundtrack: 7/10 Costumes: 6/10 AVERAGE: 5,14 An entertaining movie which is heavily flawed to the point of being comical. Just watch it, this is a classic of the 2000's and it has a good Indiana Jones feel. Director: Stephen Sommers Screenplay: Stephen Sommers Cast: Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah, Arnold Vosloo, Oded Fehr, Patricia Velásquez, Freddie Boath, Alun Armstrong, The Rock Soundtrack: Alan Silvestri Cinematography: Adrian Biddle Running Time: 129 minutes Budget: $98 million By @the_owlseyes

  • Akhanda: The Best Film from Boyapati-Balayya

    Reviews by: @mr.cinemaaa Project Details Director: Boyapati Srinu Written By: Boyapati Srinu Dialogues: M. Ratnam Produced By: Miryala Ravinder Reddy Production House: Dwaraka Creations Cinematography: C. Ram Prasad Music Director: Thaman S Edited By: K.Venkateshwara Rao & Tammiraju Art Director: AS. Prakash Costumes: Raamz Stun Shiva & Ram-Lakshman Action/Stunts: Shankar & Bhanu Choreography: Raghunadh .K Sound Design: Raghunadh .K Run Time: 2 Hours & 47 Minutes CBFC Rating : "U/A" Direction & Story The film is about how Akhanda, a fierce devotee of Lord Shiva who stands tall against evildoers when Murali Krishna & his family are in danger. Who is this Akhanda? What is his background? needs to be seen. The story by Boyapati Srinu is noting new and falls into his same old format where there are two characters, and one comes to help the other when he is in trouble. His narration is predictable coz of the wafer-thin plot. The screenplay is pretty half-backed coz it is packed with many mass masala elements which one expects from this combo. All the scenes are designed well which will elevate both the main characters in the film. Director Boyapati Srinu sets the plot to perfection by weaving a mythical story with mass moments in a way only he can do it in Balayya's trademark style. All his mass moments are sure to elicit whistles in the theatres as he gives a complete treat for all the fans. Lead Performances Nandamuri Balakrishna is terrific. Balayya sports two completely contrasting avatars. He looks solid and is the first & foremost reason anyone sticks to the entire narrative. In the role of a social reformer, he exudes swag and as well as mass. But the real standout is his portrayal of an Aghora. He brings life to all the key scenes with his amazing appearance as Akhanda. To say, Balayya as the Aghora is on another level in the film. His attire, body language, and diction suit the role very well. This role caters to all the mass galleries and Boyapati elevates it like a pro in his trademark style. Pragya Jaiswal is this typical ‘Boyapati film heroine’ where she is romancing the hero in the first half and later we see her crying & running in fear all through the second half. Apart from this, she looks gorgeous on screen & has done a pretty decent job with her performance as a young collector & as the hero's love interest. Detailed Analysis Srikanth sheds his family avatar and tries a full-fledged villain role. He is solid & ferocious as Varadarajulu. He shines in his introduction scene and his pre-interval face-to-face encounter with Balayya in the mines. Jagapathi Babu is just about okay as Aghora Baba. Poorna gets a meaty role & she delivers an impactful performance as Padmavati, PA to the collector. Niitin Mehta does an okayish job as the main antogonist, Gajendra Sahu. But a better actor & a wellknown face could have been even better for this role. Kalakeya Prabhakar is fine playing a cruel & corrupt police officer while Sravan is good as the villain's son. Subbaraju is neat as the minister Bharath Reddy. The rest of the cast and other artists who did the supporting roles are decent enough in their roles. Technical Team Direction: 4.5/5 Story: 3/5 Screenplay: 2.5/5 Dialogues: 4/5 Music/Songs: 4/5 Background Score: 5/5 Production Values: 5/5 Cinematography: 5/5 Editing: 3.5/5 Costumes: 5/5 Choreography: 4.5/5 VFX/Graphics: 4/5 Sound Design: 5/5 Things to Look Out for Thaman.S breathes life into the film with his mass background score. He is the real hero of the film and his outstanding score deserves a lot of appreciation. The songs are pretty decent too. 'Jai Balayya' is a treat for the fans while the title song is the best one. C. Ram Prasad's camera work is M.Ratnam's dialogues are kickass. superb and his framing is brilliant. Plus Points Thaman's Outstanding Background Score Balakrishna's Performance Boyapati Srinu's Mass Taking Balayya's Trademark Dialogues Mass Elevation Scenes & Fight Scenes Cinematography & Production Values Jai Balayya Song & Choreography Introduction, Interval & Climax Minus Points Wafer Thin Plot & Predictable Story Few Parts Of Second Half Too Much Violence Love Track Final Verdict The best film from Boyapati-Balayya combo + Thaman's mass BGM. P.S.: Full meals for all Balayya Babu fans and all mass masala movie lovers. Recommended: YES Mr.Cinema Rating: 4/5 0.5 - Unbearable 1.0 - Avoid 1.5 - Flop 2.0 - Below Average 2.5 - Average 3.0 - Watchable 3.5 - Hit 4.0- Super Hit 4.5 - Blockbuster 5.0 - Mega Hit By @mr.cinemaaa

  • Code Geass: Strategie împotriva Tacticii

    Reviews by: @vagonulrecenzii - Deschid porțile Britanniei cu acest anime cu o platformă de susținere complexa în strategii Politice, dar momentand împart seria în 2 capitole , căci se schimba atmosfera înduioșătoare a revoltei. - încep cu sezonul 1 , cu 25 ep care te arunca în separația statelor create , de la Federația Chineză, U.E și ceea care va fi o forță de teroare pentru gruparea lui Zero ,, Britannia ,,. Strategie , regrete spre un drum ales , multe personaje interesante și bucățele mici de Geass-uri cu puncte mici replici inteligente . - sezonul 2 începe cu ceva de neînțeles, dar începe pe parcurs sa îți explice de ce ? . Acum reflexia asupra geass explodează cu mistere și mult interes. Lelouch după părerea mea devine un echivalent a lui Light ( Kira ) - chiar s-au dus spre câteva scene inspirationiste . Și sa nu uitam de micile citate care chiar te lovesc cu inspirație politică. - fiecare cu cel doare în viziuni politice diferite , războiul - păcii, libertate de sub jugul Imperiului , patru ep cu împăratul Lelouch și finalul emoționant de trist ( pregătiți șervețelele 😭😂). Personal au reușit prin astea două sez sa creze ceva mișto, cu lupte dintre roboți, tabere de război Rebeli - imperiu ( mai complicat decât in Star Wars ) și sezonul 2 aduce și ceva trădări. - după o perioada de pace filozofica , primim și film în care Lelouch revine , bătălia continua împotriva unei grupări religioase și cât de drăguț este cuplul C.C. și Lelouch ( căci tot bine creionat este ) . Dar și acest film este o alternativa. - ,,Emperor Charles sought the past, you seek the present, but I seek the future!,, - Quotes of Lelouch . Și cu asta termin partea 1 din recenzia animeului. - multe tipuri de geass , multe interesante , dar pentru cineva ce-i place strategia politică asta este chiar perfect. Nota personală part 1: 8.9/10 By @vagonulrecenzii

  • Hit Monkey: DON'T GIVE THAT MONKEY SUGAR

    Reviews by: @lemmiblog Gesehen auf @disneyplusde Bryce ist Auftragskiller mit einer so großen Klappe, das diese nur von seinem eigenen Ego übertroffen wird. Sein letzter Auftrag lässt ihn selbst über die Klinge springen. Er schafft es sich schwer verletzt zu einem Stamm von Makaken zu retten. Diese pflegen ihn, doch werden ebenfalls niedergeschossen. Monkey ist der einzige Überlebende, er konnte sich allerdings von Bryce noch etwas abschauen um sich zu wehren. Monkey macht sich nun auf nach Tokyo, an seiner Seite ist der Geist von Bryce der ebenfalls Rache will. Mit ab und zu hilfreichen Tips und die eine oder andere Lektion in moderner Popkultur hilft er Monkey einen Bandenchef nach dem anderen umzubringen. Doch was können ein Geist und ein Affe schon gegen die Unterweltbosse wie Gockel, Fat Cobra oder den Bonsai Master tun? Diese Serie hat 10 Episoden mit je ca. 25 Minuten Länge. Wir haben hier den Rachefeldzug eines Affen und von einem Geist der blutiger aber auch komischer nicht sein kann. Positiv fand ich die Chemie zwischen den beiden. Bryce der soviele dumme Sprüche auf Lager hat, damit kann man die kompletten 80er Jahre füllen und Monkey der aber auch Gewissensbisse hat. Die Action schaut klasse aus, der Zeichenstil ist absolut in Ordnung. Die Story selbst ist, ich schnetzle mich von A nach B, damit ich C das Hirn wegschießen kann. Da die Folgen aber kurzweilig und vor allem von Bryce Sprüchen leben macht die Serie viel Spaß. Ebenso die etwas nachdenklicheren Momente, lassen einen wunderbar mitfühlen. Negativ ist höchstens die eine oder andere Unlogischkeit aber hier rennt ein Affe mit einem Katana rum, also was solls. Ganz klare Empfehlung für jeden der was blutiges, lustiges und kurzweiliges sucht. Von mir bekommt die Serie 9/10 Punkten. Geh zum Schneider vom King Pin, der hat auch solche Stummelbeine wie du. By @lemmiblog

  • Easter Sunday: A Fun Family Film Perfect For Streaming

    Reviews by: @tylersnerdy_review I saw Easter Sunday the other day and I will say that you will definitely like this movie more if you don’t spend money on it. I don’t really see who thought this would be a good theatrical release in this streaming economy because this is the perfect streaming movie. It’s funny and touching in all the right spots but it does start rough. The acting at the start and the jokes are just not good. But as it goes on it all gets better. Jo Koy is the glue that holds his family and this movie together as the one consistently good piece of the movie. Tia Carrere should have been in more of the movie, the scenes she had with Koy were a delight. Eugene Cordero was a lot of fun here but played a character that was a bit unbelievably stupid for the type of movie. Brandon Wardell never really had a great chance to shine but his scenes with Eva Noblezada are great. Jimmy O. Yang, Tiffany Haddish, and Lou Diamond Phillips have really good cameo roles that are short and sweet but a lot of fun. The rest of the family is enjoyable but never get much to do other than the mom and his sister. The movie follows a pretty basic plot with a message we’ve all seen before, but it is an important one and the love for the Philippines is heavily felt. Easter Sunday will make a great at home watch with the family, I’ll give it a pretty solid 7/10. -Tyler. By @tylersnerdy_review

  • Vengeance: The Great American Opus

    Reviews by: @tylersnerdy_review Right after League of Super Pets I went right into BJ Novak’s Writer/Producer/Director debut film Vengeance. And at first thought, did Novak just create the opus of the modern American story? It certainly feels that way, the story gets so grand before dying down to something simple and then exploding again by the end for a story that feels more than just topical but like it should be the topic itself. Novak is great here as he takes the changes of his story in stride. Boyd Holbrook is somehow a great foil to Novak’s character. They work so well together despite playing polar opposite characters. J. Smith Cameron is delightful as the mother, and she does a great job making you see that her character cares about her kids. Lio Tipton, Dove Cameron, and Isabella Amara are great as the kids of the family, the boy that plays the youngest kid isn’t listed here but he’s a delight as well. The Grandma is also not listed on Letterboxd but she sure as hell made her mark on the film. Issa Rae is just as fabulous here as she is everywhere else, I wish she had been in a tad bit more of the film. Zach Villa and Ashton Kutcher come in and out of the film for a couple very short scenes that some of the best in the film. I really think everyone should see this at least once. I can’t say everyone will like it but I think it’s a message that needs to be seen and a theory about our division that has to be acknowledged. This country is going down the fast track to a shit show and movies like this remind us all what we have in common and why we make such a strong country when united. Is vengeance just a film on that? Or is it about so so much more all at the same time. It juggles so much but manages to catch them all each time and tie it together with a shocking but satisfying ending. I’m giving Vengeance a solid 9/10, please get out there and give it chance, decide what you think for yourself. -Tyler. By @tylersnerdy_review

  • Casablanca: Sublime Screenplay

    Reviews by: @augustkellerwrites Casablanca is immaculately written. Superficially, it has natural arcs and a perfect bittersweet ending. Thematically, it tackles idealism, commitment, morality, and isolationism, using characters as political metaphors. Minutely, dialogue is weighted with motivated strategies, exposition is delivered naturally, and each scene develops the plot and characters. Broadly, the tone balances tension, humor, and drama while the genre blends noir, romance, and commentary. Plus, the iconic cast provides vulnerability, layers, and range. Overall, Casablanca packs internal conflicts, redefined tropes, and cathartic resolution into a methodical journey that's still influential today. Technically, Casablanca is subtly enhanced. Its edit pacing flows smoothly while embodying the drama. There are matte paintings, rear screen projections, and gunfire blanks. The sound is ambient yet suggestive. Meanwhile, the visuals use precise and consistent camera movement, symbolic lighting, extreme shadows, and significant composition. The production design is theatrical, emulating the elevated emotions. Finally, the music is truly powerful, using dramatic scoring and meaningful songs that impact the plot. Ultimately, Casablanca carefully hits every mark. Joining accessible entertainment with detailed substance, Casablanca is firmly one of the greatest films of all time. Writing: 10/10 Direction: 10/10 Cinematography: 10/10 Acting: 10/10 Editing: 9/10 Sound: 9/10 Score/Soundtrack: 10/10 Production Design: 10/10 Casting: 10/10 Effects: 9/10 Overall Score: 9.7/10 By @augustkellerwrites

  • Emily the Criminal: Convicted Commentary

    Reviews by: @augustkellerwrites Emily the Criminal is thrilling and meaningful. Its grounded story follows a relatable protagonist who's in debt, can't find a decent wage, and is haunted by her criminal record. Aubrey Plaza portrays this with passion, showing layers, range, bottled tension, and vulnerability. Despite eventually turning to illegal work, viewers will empathize. Superficially, Emily the Criminal is riveting suspense, depicting a risky lifestyle. Thematically, it critiques classism, exploitation, and the system that breeds this cycle of crime. Together, these aspects synergize. Plus, there's natural dialogue and dynamic characters. Thus, Emily the Criminal is emotionally powerful. Technically, Emily the Criminal is efficient. Its minimal effects raise tension, its seedy production adds anxiety, and Plaza shines in an unusual role. The music builds mood with ambient electronics. Meanwhile, the editing has tight pacing, a concise runtime, cooldowns, and inserts. The imagery uses angles, movement, composition, close framing, focus, and extended takes to create immersion. Finally, the sound emphasizes drama with muted climaxes, smash cuts, split cuts, informative atmosphere, echoes, and exaggerations. Overall, Emily the Criminal has sharp messages, a defined tone, and flowing suspense. Its sincere emotions and palpable danger make it well worthwhile. Writing: 8/10 Direction: 7/10 Cinematography: 7/10 Acting: 9/10 Editing: 7/10 Sound: 8/10 Score/Soundtrack: 7/10 Production Design: 7/10 Casting: 7/10 Effects: 7/10 Overall Score: 7.4/10 By @augustkellerwrites

  • A Fistful Of Fingers: A Bad Take For A Western Parody

    Reviews by: @tylersnerdy_review So I joined a group that intends on focusing on one director at a time and watching one of their films every week. So to start we’re doing Edgar Wright with his very first film A Fistful of Fingers. This movie is simply not good. But what’s crazy is how much of Wright you can see in his first film. The nicest thing I can say about this film is that it’s a well made college student film. Most definitely a product of the 90’s it crawled out of. Though some humor is pretty good I think my score for this could have been changed had there not been so much overt racism in it. With not just the briefest moment of black face but Indigenous characters being played by white people in a very stereotypical way. I get that it’s parody and they were making fun of western stereotypes but they could have done it in a much better way and could have not used white people. And sure, there’s a lack of Indigenous people from America in England, but if you can’t make it work, don’t make it. This has some really funny gags that are either overused or just not used as well as they could have been. There’s honestly a lot to like here but so much of it is handled in the worst way possible that the movie falls flat of being anything short of an incoherent mess of a movie. I would only suggest this to anyone doing what we are right now and making their way through Edgar Wright’s films. It’ll be a week before I do this again. Next up is Shaun of the Dead which I have already seen but next week is Hot Fuzz which I have not seen yet. I’m giving A Fistful of Fingers a disappointing 4/10. -Tyler. By @tylersnerdy_review

  • Hunt For the Wilderpeople: 100% Recommend, the Movie needs More Love

    Reviews by: @thereviewofeverything Starring: Julian Dennison, Sam Neil, Rachel House, Rhys Darby, Taika Waititi, Rima Te Wiata and Oscar Knightly. A troublesome kid and his foster father escape into the New Zealand wilderness as they run from the police. This is probably my favourite movie - I have a lot of others that I'm really struggling to place above or below it - but...I think this takes the cake. I love the balance of comedy and tragedy, I love the music/soundtrack, I love the acting and the actors, I love how it shows New Zealand - it's just so perfect. The story is so sweet and kind of a tearjerker. But it's just hilarious (as are most of Waititi's amazing works, definitely my favourite director) at the same time. This movie had be laughing during a funeral scene. The cinematography is really cool, the 360° camera shot in the woods and you can see a second shot of the characters is unique. Also, there's a bit where the camera is handheld facing on them and then the police yell and the camera turns to the police but when it turns back to the others they've already left the frame and then the camera turns full to the left to see them running. I've never seen that - horror movies could take notes lol. The music is fantastic. The original songs by Moniker (I recommend you check out 'Ocean Blue') and the song choices are very good. Also, not a day goes by where my dad doesn't randomly start screaming "RICKY BAKER AH AH AH RICKY BAKER AH AH AH" 🤣 100% recommend, the movie needs more love. 10/10 By @thereviewofeverything

  • The Karate Kid: It’s Hard to Rate Fairly when Nostalgia is Involved

    Reviews by: @rabz_reel_reviews A wise man once told me “It’s hard to rate fairly when nostalgia is involved”, this is true, admittedly I and many others often tend to look at movies from our youth with rose tinted glasses and perhaps remember them more fondly than we should. With this in mind I watched “The Karate Kid” a few days ago to see if it’s really as fun as I remember and you know what...it sure as hell is!!🥋BONSAI DANIEL SAN!! I’m not gonna lie I was a big Karate Kid fan when I was young but now that I have watched 2 seasons of Cobra Kai “The Karate Kid” just hits different and in the best possible way. Knowing what we know from the show now adds a lot of extra layers to the movie. I found myself at certain points during the movie feeling conflicted over Daniel and Johnnys rivalry. The characters now all seem even more interesting and all those inspirational Miyagi life lessons or “Miyagisms” all mean that much more. Mr Miyagi’s character in particular is just a joy to watch. This time around as an adult and big fan of Cobra I noticed even more of his little idiosyncrasies. One particular scene where Miyagi, who is normally quite a guarded man, gets drunk and becomes emotional and serves up some sad truths about his past was great to watch. The performances in the movie are believable and sincere. Yes the film is undeniably corny and the ending is predictable but The Karate at its core is a really fun movie about friendship and overcoming the odds. In a decade like the 80s where underdog and coming of age stories were all the rage, this is one of the best. Honestly, I could of done with another 20 minutes and it ends a bit too suddenly for me. I was having fun. I know it directly follows on to KK2 but I probably would took the first few minutes of that 2nd movie “post tournament” and just add it to this. More than anything else, watching this again just makes me that much more excited for S4 of Cobra Kai 🐍 8.8/10 By @rabz_reel_reviews

  • Bone Tomahawk: Gruesome and Memorable AF!

    Reviews by: @movieswithjosh_ Bone Tomahawk: 7/10 This movie was gruesome and memorable AF! It’s a film that skillfully blends western and horror, and it’s plenty effective in both departments. It’s not quite a flawlessly executed movie, but it’s a damn fun time nonetheless. The cast was very solid, aside from a few sloppy side characters who pop up at the beginning. Kurt Russell and Patrick Wilson are good, but it was Matthew Fox and Richard Jenkins that really drew me in. They both surprised me big time. The writing was very polished, the visuals were worthy, the minimalistic score was neat and the gore/tension was super impressive. The film definitely starts off a bit slow and dry (as a lot of westerns do), but the intrigue was always there. The last 20-30 minutes is where the film really amped it up, but the lead up was really enjoyable as well. I personally appreciated the unhurried pace, but it won’t be for everyone. I’ll also say this. Don’t go into this movie expecting a complete 50/50 split of western and horror. I don’t want to deceive you. This is a western, first and foremost. It’s 70% old school western and 30% disturbing/hard to watch horror. I think “Bone Tomahawk” will leave a hardcore horror fan a bit disappointed, but even your most average western fan is going to eat this right up. It was a respectable balance of old school and new school cinema; a quality not many modern day films have. It’s not all perfect, but good luck forgetting about this one👀 It’s a western that I would definitely recommend! IMDb: 7.1 By @movieswithjosh_

  • Orphan First Kill: Adopted Errors

    Reviews by: @augustkellerwrites Orphan: First Kill embraces cheese, but doesn't transcend it. It's scandalous with a surprising twist, but First Kill's excitement is matched by its lack of thought. There are half-baked themes, contrived plot elements, illogical character choices, underdeveloped relationships, cliche dialogue, rushed pacing, and unrelatable character tropes. Some will argue that First Kill's corniness is fun, but intentional camp requires consistent self-awareness and stylish thrills. Instead, First Kill is generic. This is further reflected in the acting, where Stiles and Fuhrman hit strong tones but are surrounded by monotonous mediocrity. Thus, First Kill is more dull than fresh. Technically, First Kill is fatally flawed. There's cinematic focus, lighting, and composition. There are dissolves, montages, match cuts, and intercuts. The sound uses stings, split cuts, echoes, and muting. Its music is tense, yet adds fitting pop hits and trans-diegetic piano. Conversely, there's hollow production design and disjointed direction. Still, First Kill sinks because it miscasts Fuhrman as a child and attempts to hide that with special effects. When the plot hinges on her looking like a kid, this is horribly distracting. Ultimately, First Kill's racy shlock might entertain some, but its absent substance and awkward filmmaking make it a subpar movie. Writing: 3/10 Direction: 4/10 Cinematography: 6/10 Acting: 5/10 Editing: 6/10 Sound: 6/10 Score/Soundtrack: 6/10 Production Design: 4/10 Casting: 3/10 Effects: 3/10 Overall Score: 4.6/10 By @augustkellerwrites

  • Lake Mungo: One of the Best Horrors Out There

    Reviews by: @there_willbe_spoilers I know the word underrated is thrown around a lot but I truly believe this to be one of the most underrated horror triumphs out there. To paraphrase the brilliant @kermodedodge , this isn't your average "quiet, quiet, BANG!" horror. It's not looking to serve you cheap thrills or fill a shallow quota of scares by the time it finishes. It's goal, which it fulfills, is to raise the hairs on your body. To chill you to the core with a proper ghost story. It does this with its format and it's well-written, believable characters. Lake Mungo is documentary in style in line with shows like A Haunting or Haunted (I'm reluctant to say mockumentary as that implies there's some comedy). Whereas those shows are quite gimmicky and are only looking for quick scares, Lake Mungo uses the format to allow its grieving and haunted family to tell the whole story. That story involves their daughter, Alice, being drudged up from the bottom of a lake having drowned. Shortly after, things start to happen around their house and the family begin looking for answers. The reason this works so well is because the characters feel authentic and it's not about a ghost. This is about a family coming to terms with the death of their daughter. It's a sombre and emotional story that also happens to be really f***ing creepy. Some of the imagery is truly believable and properly scary, you will have chills down your spine multiple times. And then towards the end... Maybe I was in a particularly vulnerable state but I viewed it on my own, lights off, sound up and found it to be incredibly effective. One moment in particular, which i won't spoil, had me jump out of my seat, pause the film, turn my lights back on and pace around the living room trying to just reset and finish the film. It's one of the creepiest moments I've ever seen. I have to stress this film requires patience. If you can watch it in the right environment and bring a patient and open mind, you'll be rewarded with one of the best horrors out there. By @there_willbe_spoilers

  • Submarine: A Super Special Affection to This Little Jewel

    Reviews by: @1.la_muerte_tiene_una_sombra In 2010, British comedian Richard Ayoade earned a place of honor in the Wes Anderson family tree with his First Feature, "Submarine." Oliver Tate (Craig Roberts) is a peculiar 15-year-old teenager who has two goals in life: to prevent his mother from leaving her father and to find a first love that allows him to carry out his first sexual experiences. . A simple and trivial script, but a fresh and independent production, where the hero (or anti-hero) is soaked to the bone with emotion and melancholy, and from the very first scene the viewer is stripped naked with that direct look at the camera, playing metacinema There is not a single scene that is not a gift for the senses. The key lies in Ayoade's ingenuity to capture the symptoms of maladjustment in beautiful vignettes that play with the image through a multitude of frozen frames, slow motion and coded colours. All very British. Very eighties. In addition, he manages to create a protagonist with whom you shouldn't fully empathize (with a touch of unpleasantness, quite detached and somewhat selfish, and who seems to force his relationship with Jordana (Yasmin Paige) due to the need to not feel alone) but with whom You empathize a lot with that waste of sincerity and their desire to distinguish themselves from the rest of the world. To all this we must add the small detail of having a Soundtrack by Alex Turner (vocalist of the Arctic Monkeys) which is another gift for the ears. His unmistakable voice and his acid lyrics become the narrative element that completes the film. I have a super special affection for this little gem. My score 4.5/5 By @1.la_muerte_tiene_una_sombra

  • Honk For Jesus. Save Your Soul.: A Movie That Would Have Been Better Had It Not Beat To The Punch

    Reviews by: @tylersnerdy_review My last review of the day and my first watch of September is “Honk For Jesus. Save Your Soul.” Now, I would like to do this movie justice but I don’t know what to say that I didn’t say for The Eyes of Tammy Faye. They’re essentially the same film with the same message and style. This isn’t a bad film but it lost the race by almost an entire year and that really hurt this film. I think had this come out first we’d be saying the Tammy Faye film is unoriginal and did the same thing. But sadly Honk For Jesus lost the race and even slightly failed to recreate Tammy Faye. The mockumentary style was quite unnecessary but I did enjoy the aspect ratio changes between cinematic style and documentary style when the cameras were rolling. I just think they tried too hard to hit us over the head with this couple being con artists and selfish, rich, assholes. Regina Hall and Sterling K. Brown are truly fantastic in this and are really the only people worth shouting out since they are the life and light of the film. But Austin Crute, Nicole Beharie, and Conphidance get a good amount of screen time as well. I will say I couldn’t focus on the movie for many of the scenes that Beharie was in because I tore myself apart trying to think about why I knew her. It is only upon reviewing this I finally saw Bones and Sleepy Hollow on her credit list and now I feel dumb because I was obsessed with those shows ages ago. Glad to see she has two movies out not just this year but I’m pretty sure the same damn day. By no means is this a bad movie, I enjoyed most of it. But sadly I have just seen a better movie doing the same thing as this one first. But I would definitely recommend checking this out when it’s streaming. I’m giving “Honk For Jesus. Save Your Soul.” a 7/10. -Tyler. By @tylersnerdy_review

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